Dichloromethane Safety Data Sheets

Carcinogenicity, Category 2

If inhaled

Following skin contact

Following eye contact

Following ingestion

INHALATION: anesthetic effects, nausea and drunkenness. CONTACT WITH SKIN AND EYES: skin irritation, irritation of eyes and nose. (USCG, 1999)

Special Hazards of Combustion Products: Dissociation products generated in a fire may be irritating or toxic. (USCG, 1999)

In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media. In case of fire: keep drums, etc., cool by spraying with water.

Evacuate danger area! Consult an expert! Personal protection: self-contained breathing apparatus. Ventilation. Collect leaking liquid in sealable containers. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Personal protection: self-contained breathing apparatus. Ventilation. Collect leaking and spilled liquid in sealable containers as far as possible. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

Soak up with inert absorbent material and dispose of as hazardous waste. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.

NO contact with incompatible substances. See Chemical Dangers. See Notes. 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 strong oxidants, strong bases, metals and food and feedstuffs. See Chemical Dangers. Cool. Well closed. Ventilation along the floor.Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Heat sensitive. Store under inert gas.

Occupational Exposure limit values

Biological limit values

Eye/face protection

Skin protection

Respiratory protection

Thermal hazards

NIOSH considers methylene chloride a potential occupational carcinogen. [2300 ppm]

Decomposes on heating or on burning and on contact with hot surfaces. This produces toxic and corrosive fumes including hydrogen chloride (see ICSC 0163), phosgene (see ICSC 0007) and carbon monoxide (see ICSC 0023). Reacts violently with strong oxidants, strong bases and metals such as aluminium powder and magnesium powder. This generates fire and explosion hazard. Attacks some forms of plastic, rubber and coatings.

In the absence of moisture at ordinary temp, dichloromethane is relatively stable when compared with its congeners, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.

It is flammable in the range of 12-19% in air but ignition is difficult.The vapour is heavier than air. As a result of flow, agitation, etc., electrostatic charges can be generated.DICHLOROMETHANE reacts vigorously with active metals such as lithium, sodium and potassium, and with strong bases such as potassium tert-butoxide. It is incompatible with strong oxidizers, strong caustics and chemically active metals such as aluminum or magnesium powders. The liquid will attack some forms of plastic, rubber and coatings. This compound reacts with sodium-potassium alloy, (potassium hydrogen + N-methyl-N-nitrosurea), nitrogen tetraoxide and liquid oxygen. It also reacts with titanium. On contact with water it corrodes iron, some stainless steels, copper and nickel. It is incompatible with alkali metals. It is incompatible with amines, zinc and alloys of aluminum, magnesium and zinc. This compound is liable to explode when mixed with dinitrogen pentaoxide or nitric acid. Mixtures of this compound in air with methanol vapor are flammable. (NTP, 1992)

no data available

Mixtures of /dinitrogen/ tetraoxide with ... dichloromethane ... are explosive when subjected to shock of 25 g TNT equiv or less.

It can be decomposed by contact with hot surfaces and open flame, and then yield toxic fumes that are irritating and give warning of their presence. When heated to decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes of phosgene and /hydrogen chloride/.

Acute toxicity

• Oral: LD50 Rat oral 1600 mg/kg
• Inhalation: LC50 Mouse inhalation 16000 ppm/7 hr plus 1 hr observation
• Dermal: no data available

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; Species: Danio rerio (Zebra danio); Conditions: freshwater, flow through, 23 deg C, pH 8.15; Concentration: 254000 ug/L for 48 hr /formulation
• Toxicity to daphnia and other aquatic invertebrates: LC50; Species: Daphnia magna (Water flea) age < or =24 hr; Conditions: freshwater, static, 22 deg C, pH 7.4-9.4, dissolved oxygen 6.5-9.1 mg/L; Concentration: 310000 ug/L for 24 hr (95% confidence interval: 280000-340000 ug/L) /> or =80% purity
• Toxicity to algae: no data available
• Toxicity to microorganisms: no data available

AEROBIC: Dichloromethane is reported to completely biodegrade under aerobic conditions with sewage seed or activated sludge between 6 hours to 7 days(1-5). Dichloromethane, present at 100 mg/L, reached 13% of its theoretical BOD in 4 weeks using an activated sludge inoculum at 30 mg/L in the Japanese MITI test (OECD 301C Method)(6). Using a respirometer test method, 49% of initial dichloromethane (10 mg/L) biodegraded using an adapted activated sludge inoculum(7). Using a Sapromat respirometer test method, nearly 100% of initial dichloromethane (660 mg/L) biodegraded using an adapted sewage inoculum(7). Dichloromethane was degraded at a concentration of 3.3 mg/L in the aqueous phase of natural sediment with a corresponding half-life of 10.9 days(8). Dichloromethane, at 50 mg/L, had 0% degradation in a Manometric respirometry test over a 28-day incubation period(9).

Using carp (Cyprinus carpio) which were exposed over a 6-week period, a BCF range of 2.0-40 was determined for dichloromethane at initial concentrations of 25 and 250 ug/L(1). According to a classification scheme(2), this BCF range suggests bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low to moderate(SRC).

Dichloromethane has reported experimentally derived Koc values of 28(1), 36(2), 48 and 8(3). According to a classification scheme(4), these Koc values suggest that dichloromethane is expected to have very high mobility in soil. Dichloromethane is adsorbed strongly to peat moss, less strongly to clay, only slightly to dolomite limestone, and not at all to sand(5).

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

Do NOT use in the vicinity of a fire or a hot surface, or during welding.The odour warning when the exposure limit value is exceeded is insufficient.Depending on the degree of exposure, periodic medical examination is suggested.