Butyl Chloride

Excerpt from ERG Guide 130 [Flammable Liquids (Water-Immiscible / Noxious)]:

Use powder, foam, carbon dioxide. In case of fire: keep drums, etc., cool by spraying with water.

Fresh air, rest. Refer for medical attention.

Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and then wash skin with water and soap.

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. Refer for medical attention .

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· ELIMINATE all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flames) from immediate area.

EYES: First check the victim for contact lenses and remove if present. Flush victim's eyes with water or normal saline solution for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital or poison control center. Do not put any ointments, oils, or medication in the victim's eyes without specific instructions from a physician. IMMEDIATELY transport the victim after flushing eyes to a hospital even if no symptoms (such as redness or irritation) develop.

General First Aid:

To fight fire: Foam, carbon dioxide, dry chemical.

If material /is/ on fire or involved in /a/ fire do not extinguish fire unless flow can be stopped. Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Solid streams of water may spread fire. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible. Use foam, dry chemial or carbon dioxide.

If fire becomes uncontrollable or container is exposed to direct flame-consider evacuation of one-third (1/3) mile radius.

Personal protection: filter respirator for organic gases and vapours adapted to the airborne concentration of the substance. Collect leaking and spilled liquid in sealable containers as far as possible. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations. Do NOT wash away into sewer. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment.

If material /is/ not on fire and not involved in /a/ fire keep sparks, flames, and other sources of ignition away. Keep material out of water sources and sewers. Build dikes to contain flow as necessary. Attempt to stop leak if without undue personnel hazard. Use water spray to knock-down vapors.

Avoid breathing vapors. Keep upwind. Do not handle broken packages unless wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. Wash away any material which may have contacted the body with copious amounts of water or soap and water.

If material leaking (not on fire) consider evacuation from downwind area based on amount of material spilled, location and weather conditions.

SRP: The scientific literature for the use of contact lenses in industry is conflicting. The benefit or detrimental effects of wearing contact lenses depend not only upon the substance, but also on factors including the form of the substance, characteristics and duration of the exposure, the uses of other eye protection equipment, and the hygiene of the lenses. However, there may be individual substances whose irritating or corrosive properties are such that the wearing of contact lenses would be harmful to the eye. In those specific cases, contact lenses should not be worn. In any event, the usual eye protection equipment should be worn even when contact lenses are in place.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 130 [Flammable Liquids (Water-Immiscible / Noxious)]:

Immediate precautionary measure

TERRESTRIAL FATE: n-Butyl chloride has a very high vapor pressure, 100 mm Hg at 25 °C(1), indicating that volatilization from soil will be rapid and a primary removal process. It has an estimated low adsorptivity to soil (Koc = 93-102)(1-2) and therefore would be mobile in soil. Biodegradation in soil is unknown(SRC).

AQUATIC FATE: If released in water, n-butyl chloride will be lost rapidly by volatilization. Its estimated volatilization half-life in a model river and pond are 2.9 hr(1-2) and 34 hr(3), respectively. In groundwater, where volatilization may not occur, n-butyl chloride may be lost by hydrolysis. Based upon hydrolysis rates for alkyl chlorides, the half-life is estimated to be between 6 hr and 38 days at neutral pH(4). The half-life at higher pHs will be shorter. Photodegradation, adsorption to sediment, and bioconcentration in fish are not important aquatic fate processes(SRC).

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: n-Butyl chloride will degrade via reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere. The half-life of n-butyl chloride in the atmosphere is estimated to be 7.0 days(1). n-Butyl chloride does not absorb radiation >290 nm and therefore it will not directly photolyze(2). Due to its water solubility, 1100 mg/l(3), washout by rain should occur. However, n-butyl chloride removed in this manner will revolatilize into the atmosphere(SRC).

Maximum permissible concentrations in open waters are 0.004 mg/l.

Cough. Sore throat. Drowsiness.

Redness. Dry skin.

Redness.

See Inhalation.

The following link will take the user to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Test Agent Search Results page, which tabulates all of the "Standard Toxicology & Carcinogenesis Studies", "Developmental Studies", and "Genetic Toxicity Studies" performed with this chemical. Clicking on the "Testing Status" link will take the user to the status (i.e., in review, in progress, in preparation, on test, completed, etc.) and results of all the studies that the NTP has done on this chemical. [http://ntp-apps.niehs.nih.gov/ntp_tox/index.cfm?fuseaction=ntpsearch.searchresults&searchterm=109-69-3]

TOXIC ON PROLONGED INHALATION.

WEAKER CENTRAL NERVOUS DEPRESSANT ACTIONS THAN ETHYL CHLORIDE.