Benzyl chloride Safety Data Sheets

Acute toxicity - Category 4, Oral

Skin irritation, Category 2

Serious eye damage, Category 1

Acute toxicity - Category 3, Inhalation

Specific target organ toxicity – single exposure, Category 3

Carcinogenicity, Category 1B

Specific target organ toxicity – repeated exposure, Category 2

If inhaled

Following skin contact

Following eye contact

Following ingestion

Intensely irritating to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Highly toxic; may cause death or permanent injury after very short exposure to small quantities. Has been listed as a direct-acting or primary carcinogen. Large doses cause central nervous system depression. (EPA, 1998)

It burns but does not ignite readily. It may ignite combustibles. When heated to decomposition, it emits toxic and corrosive fumes. Some organic chlorides decompose to yield phosgene. Incompatible with active metals such as copper, aluminum, magnesium, iron, zinc, and tin and keep from strong oxidizing agents. Avoid contact with acids or acid fumes. Keep separate from oxidizing materials. May become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures; may react with water resulting in some nonviolent release of energy. Polymerizes with evolution of heat and hydrogen chloride when in contact with all common metals except nickel and lead. (EPA, 1998)

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

Personal protection: chemical protection suit including self-contained breathing apparatus. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Collect leaking and spilled liquid in covered non-metallic containers as far as possible. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Personal protection: chemical protection suit including self-contained breathing apparatus. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Collect leaking and spilled liquid in covered non-metallic containers as far as possible. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Environmental considerations: Air spill: Apply water spray or mist to knock down vapors. Vapor knockdown water is corrosive or toxic and should be diked for containment.

NO open flames. Above 67°C use a closed system and ventilation. 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 food and feedstuffs and incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Dry. Ventilation along the floor. Store only if stabilized.Separated from food and feedstuffs and incompatible materials . Ventilation along the floor. Store only if stabilized.

Occupational Exposure limit values

Biological limit values

Eye/face protection

Skin protection

Respiratory protection

Thermal hazards

The substance polymerizes under the influence of all common metals except nickel and lead. This produces corrosive fumes (hydrogen chloride - see ICSC 0163). This generates fire or explosion hazard. On combustion, forms toxic and corrosive fumes of hydrogen chloride. Reacts vigorously with strong oxidants. Attacks many metals in the presence of water.

Stablity during transport: stable

Combustible. Gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire.Halogenated aliphatic compounds, such as BENZYL CHLORIDE, are moderately or very reactive. Halogenated organics generally become less reactive as more of their hydrogen atoms are replaced with halogen atoms. Materials in this group are incompatible with strong oxidizing and reducing agents. Also, they are incompatible with many amines, nitrides, azo/diazo compounds, alkali metals, and epoxides.

no data available

Will react with water or steam to produce toxic and corrosive fumes /HCl and chlorine gas/; can react vigorously with oxidizing materials.

When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of /hydrogen chloride/.

Acute toxicity

• Oral: LD50 Mouse oral 1500 mg/kg
• Inhalation: LC50 - rat (male) - 0.74 mg/L air.
• Dermal: LD50 - (male/female) - > 794 - < 1 000 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 - Brachydanio rerio and Leuciscus idus - 4 mg/L - 96 h.
• Toxicity to daphnia and other aquatic invertebrates: EC50 - Daphnia magna - 6.1 mg/L - 48 h.
• Toxicity to algae: Toxicity threshold (similar to EC3) - Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricauda - 30 mg/L - 8 d.
• Toxicity to microorganisms: toxicity threshold - Pseudomonas putida - 4.8 mg/L - 16 h.

AEROBIC: Benzyl chloride, present at 100 mg/L, reached 70.9% of its theoretical BOD in 2 weeks using an activated sludge inoculum at 30 mg/L in the Japanese MITI test(1). Benzyl chloride biodegraded readily with the formation of dechlorinated products during a 2-day incubation period using raw sewage and raw sewage acclimated to non-chlorinated compounds(2). However, since benzyl chloride is subject to hydrolysis(3-5), it is probably the biodegradation of benzyl alcohol that is measured in these studies(SRC).

An estimated BCF of 20 was calculated in fish for benzyl chloride(SRC), using a log Kow of 2.30(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 benzyl chloride is estimated as 100(SRC), using a log Kow of 2.30(1) and a regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this estimated Koc value suggests that benzyl chloride is expected to have high mobility in soil.

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 suggested.The symptoms of lung oedema often do not become manifest until a few hours have passed and they are aggravated by physical effort. Rest and medical observation are therefore essential.Immediate administration of an appropriate inhalation therapy by a doctor, or by an authorized person, should be considered.An added stabilizer or inhibitor can influence the toxicological properties of this substance; consult an expert.