Resorcinol Safety Data Sheets

Acute toxicity - Category 4, Oral

Skin irritation, Category 2

Eye irritation, Category 2

Hazardous to the aquatic environment, short-term (Acute) - Category Acute 1

If inhaled

Following skin contact

Following eye contact

Following ingestion

Inhalation of vapors or dust causes irritation of respiratory tract. Ingestion causes burns of mucous membranes, severe diarrhea, pallor, sweating, weakness, headache, dizziness, tinnitus, shock, and severe convulsions; may also cause siderosis of the spleen and tubular injury to the kidney. Contact with eyes causes irritation. Can be absorbed from wounds or through unbroken skin, producing severe dermatitis, methemoglobinemia, cyanosis, convulsions, tachycardia, dyspnea, and death. (USCG, 1999)

Behavior in Fire: Containers may explode. (USCG, 1999)

Use water spray, powder.

Personal protection: P2 filter respirator for harmful particles. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Sweep spilled substance into covered containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Personal protection: P2 filter respirator for harmful particles. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Sweep spilled substance into covered containers. If appropriate, moisten first to prevent dusting. Carefully collect remainder. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Environmental consideration: Water spill: Use mechanical dredges or lifts to remove immobilized masses of pollutants and precipitates.

NO open flames. Prevent build-up of electrostatic charges (e.g., by grounding). Handling in a well ventilated place. Wear suitable protective clothing. Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid formation of dust and aerosols. Use non-sparking tools. Prevent fire caused by electrostatic discharge steam.

Separated from incompatible materials and food and feedstuffs. See Chemical Dangers.Separated from incompatible materials and food and feedstuffs.

Occupational Exposure limit values

Biological limit values

Eye/face protection

Skin protection

Respiratory protection

Thermal hazards

Reacts with strong oxidants, ammonia and amino compounds. This generates fire and explosion hazard.

Hygroscopic

Combustible when exposed to heat or flameAs a result of flow, agitation, etc., electrostatic charges can be generated.RESORCINOL is a weak organic acid. Incompatible with acetanilide, albumin, alkalis, antipyrine, camphor, iron salts, menthol, spirit nitrous ether, and urethane. Can react with oxidizing materials (NTP, 1992). Has a potentially explosive reaction with concentrated nitric acid [Lewis]. Turns pink on contact with iron.

no data available

Can react with oxidizing materials

When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

Acute toxicity

• Oral: LD50 - rat (male/female) - 510 mg/kg bw.
• Inhalation: LC0 - rat (female) - > 7 800 mg/m³ air.
• Dermal: LD50 - rabbit (male) - 2 830 mg/kg bw.

Skin corrosion/irritation

Serious eye damage/irritation

Respiratory or skin sensitization

Germ cell mutagenicity

Carcinogenicity

Reproductive toxicity

STOT-single exposure

STOT-repeated exposure

Aspiration hazard

• Toxicity to fish: LC50 - Pimephales promelas - 29.5 mg/L - 96 h.
• Toxicity to daphnia and other aquatic invertebrates: LC50 - Daphnia magna - 1 mg/L - 48 h.
• Toxicity to algae: EC50 - Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (previous names: Raphidocelis subcapitata, Selenastrum capricornutum) - > 97 mg/L - 72 h.
• Toxicity to microorganisms: EC50 - activated sludge of a predominantly domestic sewage - 79 mg/L - 3 h.

AEROBIC: Resorcinol, present at 100 mg/L, reached 100% of its theoretical BOD in 2 weeks using an activated sludge inoculum at 30 mg/L in the Japanese MITI test(1,-3). Complete degradation of resorcinol occurred in 8 days (as determined by a 100% UV absorbancy loss) in a mineral salts medium using a silt loam soil inocula(4). A 5-day 61% theoretical BOD was measured using a sewage inocula(5). A 95% degradation was observed over a 0.4-day incubation period using a Warburg respirometer and an acclimated activated sludge inocula(6). A 6-day 21% theoretical BOD was observed using a Warburg respirometer and an activated sludge acclimated to aniline(7). A 12-hr theoretical BOD of 33-39% was observed using a Warburg respirometer and activated sludge acclimated to either phenol, catechol, or benzoic acid(8). A 5-day COD removal of 90% was measured in an activated sludge system(9). The half-life of resorcinol in an aerobic screening test ranged from 0.16 to 0.24 days using activated sludge acclimated to cresols(10). Half-lives of 0.5 and 4.5 hours were determined for initial concentrations of 20 and 120 ppm resorcinol, respectively, in a treatment plant simulation study over a 1-hr incubation period using inoculum from a coke wastewater treatment plant(11). Degradation of 95% in 1 day and 90% in 8 days was observed in a biological treatment simulation using activated sludge and initial concns of 138 and 500 ppm, respectively(12). Using a Warburg respirometer and a mixed-culture of bacteria adapted to phenol, 95% of initial resorcinol was degraded in 1 to 2 days(13). Resorcinol, present at 2 mg/L, reached 68.6% of its theoretical BOD in 5 days, using 150 mL of river water in the river die-away test. The source of river water inoculum was the Songhua River, Jilan Province, China, which is contaminated with substituted benzenes(14).

An estimated BCF of 3 was calculated in fish for resorcinol(SRC), using a log Kow of 0.80(1) and a regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this BCF suggests the potential for bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low(SRC).

The Koc of resorcinol in a clay loam soil from the Michigan State University Soils Research Farm was measured to be 10.36(1). According to a classification scheme(2), this estimated Koc value suggests that resorcinol is expected to have very high mobility in soil. The pKa1 of resorcinol is 9.30(3), indicating that this compound will exist partially in the anion form in the environment and anions generally do not adsorb more strongly to soils containing organic carbon and clay than their neutral counterparts(4).

no data available

Product

Contaminated packaging

no data available

no data available

Information on revision

Abbreviations and acronyms

• CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service
• ADR: European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
• RID: Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail
• IMDG: International Maritime Dangerous Goods
• IATA: International Air Transportation Association
• TWA: Time Weighted Average
• STEL: Short term exposure limit
• LC50: Lethal Concentration 50%
• LD50: Lethal Dose 50%
• EC50: Effective Concentration 50%

References

• IPCS - The International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC), website: http://www.ilo.org/dyn/icsc/showcard.home
• HSDB - Hazardous Substances Data Bank, website: https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/newtoxnet/hsdb.htm
• IARC - International Agency for Research on Cancer, website: http://www.iarc.fr/
• eChemPortal - The Global Portal to Information on Chemical Substances by OECD, website: http://www.echemportal.org/echemportal/index?pageID=0&request_locale=en
• CAMEO Chemicals, website: http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/search/simple
• ChemIDplus, website: http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/chemidlite.jsp
• ERG - Emergency Response Guidebook by U.S. Department of Transportation, website: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/erg
• Germany GESTIS-database on hazard substance, website: http://www.dguv.de/ifa/gestis/gestis-stoffdatenbank/index-2.jsp
• ECHA - European Chemicals Agency, website: https://echa.europa.eu/

Other Information

Depending on the degree of exposure, periodic medical examination is indicated.Specific treatment is necessary in case of poisoning with this substance; the appropriate means with instructions must be available.Do NOT take working clothes home.