Ferrous Oxalate

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational exposure or environmental contamination. Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in soil or water; effects on animal, aquatic, and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

SRP: Local exhaust ventilation should be applied wherever there is an incidence of point source emissions or dispersion of regulated contaminants in the work area. Ventilation control of the contaminant as close to its point of generation is both the most economical and safest method to minimize personnel exposure to airborne contaminants.

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.

All ... /iron/ preparations should be kept in child-proof bottles. /Iron preparations/

5.2 [mg/m3]

57 [mg/m3]

340 [mg/m3]

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ /Investigators/ ...synthesized ferrous oxalate and prepared a stable antianemic powder Ferosol-1 including copper, zinc and cobalt. ...To estimate a local action of this powder... guinea pigs... were /used/. ...Ferosol-1 is of low toxicity (LD50 = 2.25 g/kg), it does not irritate mucosa of duodenum and ventriculus and could be used orally. ... /Ferosol-1/

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ Experiments with white mice showed low toxicity of Ferosol-2 (LD50 = 4.3 g/kg, for 1 composition and 4.6 g/kg for 2 composition). It does not irritate mucosa of duodenum and ventriculus. /Ferosol-2/

...There is concern that the individual with metabolic defects that impair the ability to regulate iron absorption will be at risk from excessive exposure to iron, primarily as a result of acceleration of accumulation of iron in the body and an earlier onset of clinical symptoms of the disease. /Iron salts/

Basic treatment: Establish a patent airway. Suction if necessary. Watch for signs of respiratory insufficiency and assist ventilations as needed. Administer oxygen by nonrebreather mask at 10 to 15 L/min. Monitor for shock and treat if necessary ... . Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . For eye contamination, flush eyes immediately with water. Irrigate each eye continuously with normal saline during transport ... . Do not use emetics. For ingestion, rinse mouth and administer 5 ml/kg up to 200 ml of water for dilution if the patient can swallow, has a strong gag reflex, and does not drool ... . Cover chemical bums with dry, sterile dressings after decontamination ... . /Oxalate and Related Compounds/

Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the unconscious patient. Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias as necessary ... . Start an IV with lactated Ringer's /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Watch for signs of fluid overload. For hypotension with signs of hypovolemia, administer fluid cautiously. Watch for signs of fluid overload ... . Treat seizures with diazepam ... . Use proparacaine hydrochloride to assist eye irrigation ... . /Oxalate and Related Compounds/

Maintain an open airway and assist ventilation if necessary. Treat shock caused by hemorrhagic gastrointestinitis aggressively with intravenous crystalloid fluids, and replace blood if needed. Patients are often markedly hypovolemic owing to gastrointestinal losses and third spacing of fluids into the intestinal wall and interstitial space. Treat coma, seizures, and metabolic acidosis if they occur. For seriously intoxicated victims (eg, shock, severe acidosis, and/or serum iron > 500-600 mcg/dL) administer deferoxamine. Monitor the urine for the urine for the characteristic orange or pink deferoxamine-iron complex. Therapy may be stopped when the urine returns to normal or when the serum iron level decreases to the normal range. Prolonged deferoxamine has been associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome and Yersinia sepsis.

Activated charcoal is not effective. Ipecac is not recommended, because it can aggravate iron-induced gastrointestinal irritation and interfere with whole bowel irrigation. Consider gastric lavage if product was a liquid formulation or tablets were chewed. Do-not use phosphate-containing solutions for lavage; these may result in life-threatening hypernatremia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia. Bicarbonate and deferoxamine lavage are of doubtful efficacy. Deferoxamine lavage is not effective and may enhance iron absorption. Whole-bowel irrigation is very effective for ingested tablets and may be considered first-line treatment, especially if large numbers of tablets are visible on plain abdominal x-ray. Massive ingestions may lead to concretions or bezoars. Repeated or prolonged whole-bowel irrigation may remove tablets. Endoscopy or surgical gastrotomy is rarely required.

Hemodialysis and hemoperfusion are not effective for removing iron but may be necessary to remove iron-deferoxamine complex in patients with renal failure. Exchange transfusion is occasionally used for massive pediatric ingestions but is of questionable efficacy.