M-Cymene

Suitable extinguishing media: For small (incipient) fires, use media such as "alcohol" foam, dry chemical, or carbon dioxide. For large fires, apply water from as far as possible. Use very large quantities (flooding) of water applied as a mist or spray; solid streams of water may be ineffective. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Special protective equipment for firefighters: Wear self contained breathing apparatus for fire fighting if necessary. ... Further information: Use water spray to cool unopened containers.

If material on fire or involved in fire: Do not extinguish fire unless flow can be stopped or safely confined. 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 chemical, or carbon dioxide. /Cymenes/

Environmental considerations: Air spill: Apply water spray or mist to knock down vapors. /Cymenes/

Environmental considerations: Water spill: use natural barriers or oil spill control booms to limit spill travel. Remove trapped material with suction hoses. /Cymenes/

Environmental considerations: Land spill: dig a pit, pond, lagoon, holding area to contain liquid or solid material. /SRP: If time permits, pits, ponds, lagoons, soak holes, or holding areas should be sealed with an impermeable flexible membrane liner./ Dike surface flow using soil, sand bags, foamed polyurethane, or foamed concrete. Absorb bulk liquid with fly ash, cement powder, or commercial sorbents. /Cymenes/

Personal precautions: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Remove all sources of ignition. Beware of vapors accumulating to form explosive concentrations. Vapors can accumulate in low areas. Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Contain spillage, and then collect with an electrically protected vacuum cleaner or by wet-brushing and place in container for disposal according to local regulations.

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational harm/injury/toxicity 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 and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

Personnel protection: 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. /Cymenes/

If material not on fire and not involved in 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. Use water spray to knock-down vapors. /Cymenes/

Avoid inhalation of vapor or mist. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. Take measures to prevent the build up of electrostatic charge.

Handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practice. Wash hands before breaks and at the end of workday.

Personal protective equipment: Respiratory protection: Where risk assessment shows air-purifying respirators are appropriate use a full-face respirator with multi-purpose combination (US) or type ABEK (EN 14387) respirator cartridges as a backup to engineering controls. If the respirator is the sole means of protection, use a full-face supplied air respirator. Use respirators and components tested and approved under appropriate government standards such as NIOSH (US) or CEN (EU). Hand protection: Handle with gloves. Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands. Eye protection: Face shield and safety glasses Use equipment for eye protection tested and approved under appropriate government standards such as NIOSH (US) or EN 166(EU). Skin and body protection: Impervious clothing, Flame retardant antistatic protective clothing, The type of protective equipment must be selected according to the concentration and amount of the dangerous substance at the specific workplace.

TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 1120(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that m-cymene is expected to have low mobility in soil(SRC). Volatilization of m-cymene from moist soil surfaces is expected to be an important fate process(SRC) given an estimated Henry's Law constant of 7.15X10-3 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), based upon its vapor pressure, 1.72 mm Hg(3), and water solubility, 42.5 mg/L(4). m-Cymene is expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon its vapor pressure(3). m-Cymene reached 0% of its theoretical BOD using activated sludge in the Japanese MITI test(5) suggesting that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in soil(SRC).

AQUATIC FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 1120(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that m-cymene is expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment(SRC). Volatilization from water surfaces is expected(3) based upon a estimated Henry's Law constant of 7.15X10-3 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), derived from its vapor pressure, 1.72 mm Hg(4), and water solubility, 42.5 mg/L(5). Using this Henry's Law constant and an estimation method(3), volatilization half-lives for a model river and model lake are 3.5 hours and 4.6 days, respectively(SRC). According to a classification scheme(6), a BCF range of 357 to 718 measured in Cyprinus carpio (carp)(7), suggests bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is high(SRC). m-Cymene is not expected to undergo hydrolysis in the environment due to the lack of functional groups that hydrolyze under environmental conditions(3). m-Cymene reached 0% of its theoretical BOD using activated sludge in the Japanese MITI test(7) suggesting that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in water(SRC).

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), m-cymene, which has a vapor pressure of 1.72 mm Hg at 25 °C(2), is expected to exist solely as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase m-cymene is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals(SRC); the half-life for this reaction in air is estimated to be 24 hours(SRC), calculated from its rate constant of 1.4X10-11 cu cm/molecule-sec at 25 °C(SRC) that was derived using a structure estimation method(3). m-Cymene does not contain chromophores that absorb at wavelengths >290 nm(4) and, therefore, is not expected to be susceptible to direct photolysis by sunlight(SRC).

m-Cymene was detected in the effluent of a m-Cymene was detected in the effluent of rubber manufacturing plants at concentrations of 1-15 ug/cu m(1). m-Cymene was detected, not quantified, in the leachate plume of a closed landfill in Norman, OK; samples were collected Nov 1995 to Apr 1996(2). m-Cymene was detected in the effluent of a hazardous waste incinerator in Germany at a concentration of 2.19 ug/cu m(3). m-Cymene was detected, not quantified, in the evaporative emissions of a 1993 Buick Regal Custom built to meet Canadian Tier 0 emissions standards and was run on winter mid-grade gasoline(4). m-Cymene was detected in emissions from one of five waxed parquet floors with an emission rate of 5 ug/sq m-hr at 3 days and 6 ug/sq m-hr at 28 days(5).

Using a structure estimation method based on molecular connectivity indices(1), the Koc of m-cymene can be estimated to be 1120(SRC). According to a classification scheme(2), this estimated Koc value suggests that m-cymene is expected to have low mobility in soil.

Using m-cymene concentrations of 20 and 2 ug/L, BCFs of 362-636 and 357-718, respectively, were reported in Cyprinus carpio (carp), which were exposed for 8 weeks(1). According to a classification scheme(2), these BCFs suggest bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is high(SRC).