Magnesium nitrate

Excerpt from ERG Guide 140 [Oxidizers]:

In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media.

Fresh air, rest. Refer for medical attention.

First rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, then remove contaminated clothes and rinse again.

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

Rinse mouth. 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.

· Keep combustibles (wood, paper, oil, etc.) away from spilled material.

Get medical attention.

General First Aid:

Use flooding amounts of water in early stages of fire. When large quantities are involved in fire, nitrate may fuse, or melt, in which condition application of water may result in extensive scattering of molten material.

If material on fire or involved in fire: Flood with water. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible.

Evacuation: If fire becomes uncontrollable - consider evacuation of one-half (1/2) mile radius.

SRP: At the time of review, criteria for land treatment or burial (sanitary landfill) disposal practices are subject to significant revision. Prior to implementing land disposal of waste residue (including waste sludge), consult with environmental regulatory agencies for guidance on acceptable disposal practices.

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.

Personnel protection: ... 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. Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus when fighting fires involving this material.

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.

Methemoglobinemia can be treated with supplemental oxygen and methylene blue 1% solution administered intravenously slowly over five minutes followed by IV flush with normal saline. Methylene blue restores the iron in hemoglobin to its normal (reduced) oxygen-carrying state. (L1613)

Binding of iron to transferrin was studied by loading iron(III) onto apotransferrin in a chloride and a nitrilotriacetate form. When magnesium (as magnesium nitrate solution) was added, a marked increase occurred in both the rate of iron binding and the maximum level of iron loaded on transferrin using either iron salt. In the absence of magnesium the amount of iron required to achieve 50% saturation of the binding sites was 0.00016 M, whereas when magnesium was added, only about one third as much iron (54 uM) was required.

The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.

Oral (L1137) ; inhalation (L1137)

Nitrate's toxicity is a result of it's conversion to nitrite once in the body. Nitrite causes the autocatalytic oxidation of oxyhemoglobin to hydrogen peroxide and methemoglobin. This elevation of methemoglobin levels is a condition known as methemoglobinemia, and is characterized by tissue hypoxia, as methemoglobin cannot bind oxygen. (A2450, L1613)

Cough. Sore throat.

Redness. Pain.

Abdominal pain. Blue lips, fingernails and skin. Confusion. Convulsions. Dizziness. Headache. Nausea. Unconsciousness.

Nitrate and nitrite poisoning causes methemoglobinemia. Symptoms include cyanosis, cardiac dysrhythmias and circulatory failure, and progressive central nervous system (CNS) effects. CNS effects can range from mild dizziness and lethargy to coma and convulsions. (L1137)

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ Studies were conducted to determine the effects of inhalation exposure to particulate and gaseous air pollutants on the resistance to exptl bacterial pneumonia. Changes in resistance to this resp infection, expressed as changes in mortality rates & survival time, served as the most sensitive & consistent indicators of damage produced by the exposure. It was possible to rank the effects of single 3-hr inhalation exposure to the particulate pollutants. Magnesium nitrate was among the least toxic. The metallic cation appeared to be most important in altering the resistance to infection.

Magnesium nitrate (in combination with 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one) is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance when used for preservation in accordance with good agricultural practice as inert (or occasionally active) ingredients in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops only.