Material Safety Data Sheet
DATE OF ISSUE June 2005
Supercedes May 2000
1 Chemical product and company identification
Product name: MANUFACTURER:
Granubor 2
Product use: U.S. Borax Inc.
Agricultural Micronutrient
Na2B4O7鸥5H2O
Chemical formula: 26877 Tourney Road
Chemical name/synonyms: sodium tetraborate Valencia, CA 91355-1847
pentahydrate
Chemical family: EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER
inorganic borates
CAS registry Number: 12179-04-3 24 Hr. Medical Info. Service: (866) 334-3571 (toll free)
(661) 284-5200
Chemtrec (Spills): (800) 424-9300
(Refer to section 15 for TSCA/ DSL chemical inventory listing)
2 Composition/information on ingredients
This product contains 99-100% sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, Regulations of the Hazardous Products Act, (WHMIS) based on
which is hazardous under the OSHA Hazard Communication chronic animal studies. Refer to section 3 and 11 for details on
Standard and under the Canadian Controlled Products hazards.
3 Hazard identification
Ingestion: Granubor 2 has low acute toxicity and is not
Overview
intended for ingestion. Small amounts (e.g. 1 teaspoon)
Granubor 2 is a white, odorless, granular substance that is not
swallowed accidentally are not likely to cause effects;
flammable, combustible or explosive and low acute oral and
swallowing larger amounts may cause gastrointestinal
dermal toxicity.
symptoms.
Potential ecological effects
Cancer: Granubor 2 is not a known carcinogen.
Large amounts Granubor 2 can be harmful to plants and other
Reproductive/developmental: Animal ingestion studies in
species. Therefore releases to the environment should be
several species, at high doses, indicate that inorganic borate
minimized, except when its use on farms has been recommended
compounds cause reproductive and developmental effects. A
to correct a boron deficiency.
human study of occupational exposure to borate dust showed no
Potential health effects
adverse effect on reproduction.
Routes of exposure: Inhalation is the most significant route
Target organs: No target organ has been identified in
of exposure in occupational and other settings. Dermal exposure
humans. High dose animal ingestion studies of borates indicate
is not usually a concern because Granubor 2 is not expected to
the testes are the target organs in male animals.
be readily absorbed through intact skin.
Signs and symptoms of exposure: Symptoms of
Inhalation: Occasional mild irritation to the nose and throat
accidental over-exposure to Granubor 2 include nausea,
may occur from inhalation of Granubor 2 dust at levels greater
vomiting and diarrhea, with delayed effects of skin redness and
than 10 mg/m3 .
peeling. These symptoms have been associated with accidental
Eye contact: Granubor 2 is not irritating to the eyes in
over exposure to the chemically related substance boric acid.
normal industrial use.
Skin contact: Granubor 2 does not cause irritation to intact
Refer to Section 11 for details on toxicological data.
skin.
4 First aid measures
Inhalation: If symptoms such as nose or throat irritation are Note to physicians: Observation only is required for adult
observed, remove to fresh air. ingestion of a few grams of inorganic borate salt. For ingestion
Eye contact: Use eye wash fountain or fresh water to cleanse of larger amounts, maintain adequate kidney function and force
eye. If irritation persists for more than 30 minutes, seek medical fluids. Gastric lavage is recommended for symptomatic patients
attention. only. Hemodialysis should be reserved for massive acute
Skin contact: Flush skin with plenty of water. ingestion or patients with renal failure. Boron analyses of urine
Ingestion: If larger amounts are swallowed, give two glasses or blood are only useful for documenting exposure and should
of water to drink and seek medical attention. not be used to evaluate severity of poisoning or to guide
treatment.
Refer to Section 11 for details.
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Granubor 2
5 Fire fighting measures
Extinguishing media: Any fire extinguishing media may be
General hazard: None. Granubor 2 is not flammable,
used.
combustible, or explosive. The product is itself a flame
Flammability classification (29 CFR1910.1200): Non-
retardant.
flammable solid.
6 Accidental release measures
General: Granubor 2 is a water soluble white powder that may Spillage into water: Where possible, remove any intact
at high concentrations cause damage to trees or vegetation by containers from the water. Advise local water authority that
root absorption. (Refer to Ecological information, Section 12, none of the affected water should be used for irrigation or for the
for specific information). abstraction of potable water until natural dilution returns the
boron value to its normal environmental background level.
Land spill: Vacuum, shovel, or sweep up Granubor 2 and Granubor 2 is a non-hazardous waste when spilled or
place in containers for disposal in accordance with applicable
disposed of as defined by RCRA, 40 CFR 261.
local regulations. Avoid contamination of water bodies during
clean up and disposal. See personal protective equipment
(Refer to Sections 12, 13 and 15 for additional information).
recommendations in Section 8.
7 Handling and storage
General: No special handling precautions are required, but Storage temperature: Ambient
dry, indoor storage is recommended. To maintain package
integrity and to minimize caking, the product should be handled Storage pressure: Atmospheric
on a first-in first-out basis. Good housekeeping procedures
should be followed to minimize dust generation and Moisture (caking)
Special sensitivity:
accumulation.
8 Exposure controls/personal protection
Engineering controls: Use local exhaust ventilation to keep Occupational exposure limits: Sodium tetraborate
airborne concentrations of Granubor 2 dust under permissible pentahydrate (Granubor 2) is regulated by Cal/OSHA and
exposure limits. as a nuisance dust by OSHA.
Personal protection: Where airborne concentrations are
5 mg/ m3
Cal OSHA PEL:
generated, respirators should be used. Eye goggles and latex or
10 mg/ m3
OSHA PEL (total dust):
rubber gloves are recommended for normal industrial exposures
to protect from splashing and overspray.
9 Physical and chemical properties
Appearance: white odorless crystalline solid Formula weight: 291.35
Octanol/water partition coefficient: Log P = -0.7570 at
Specific gravity: 1.81
25o C based on boric acid. Sodium tetraborate will undergo
Vapor pressure: Negligible @ 20掳C
hydrolysis in water to form undissociated boric acid. No
Solubility in water: 3.8% @ 20掳C; 51.2% @ 100掳C biodegradation data is available, as sodium tetraborate is an
inorganic substance.
Melting point: 200掳C (392掳F) (heated in closed spaces)
pH @ 20掳C: 9.3 (3.0% solution)
10 Stability and reactivity
General: Granubor 2 is a stable product, but when heated it Incompatible materials and conditions to avoid:
loses water, eventually forming anhydrous borax (Na2B4O7). Reaction with strong reducing agents, such as metal hydrides or
alkali metals, will generate hydrogen gas, which could create an
explosive atmosphere.
Hazardous decomposition: None.
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Granubor 2
11 Toxicological information
Acute toxicity Other
Reproductive/developmental toxicity: Animal feeding
Ingestion: Low acute oral toxicity; LD50 in rats is 3,200 to
studies in the rat, mouse and dog, at high doses, have
3,400
demonstrated effects on fertility and testes2. Also, studies with
mg/kg of body weight.
chemically related boric acid in the rat, mouse and rabbit, at
Skin/dermal: Low acute dermal toxicity; LD50 in rabbits is
high doses, demonstrate developmental effects on the fetus
greater than 2,000 mg/kg of body weight. Granubor 2 is
including fetal weight loss and minor skeletal variations. The
poorly absorbed through intact skin.
doses administered were many times in excess of those which
Inhalation: Low acute inhalation toxicity; LC50 in rats is
humans would normally be exposed to.3, 4, 5
greater than 2.0 mg/L (or g/m3).
Carcinogenicity/mutagenicity: No evidence of
Skin irritation: Non-irritant. carcinogenicity in mice. No mutagenic activity was observed for
Eye irritation: Draize test in rabbits produced eye irritation boric acid in a battery of short-term mutagenicity assays.
effects. Fifty years of occupational exposure to sodium borates Human data: Human epidemiological studies show no
indicates no adverse effects on human eye. Therefore, increase in pulmonary disease in occupational populations with
Granubor 2 is not considered to be a human eye irritant in chronic exposures to boric acid dust and sodium borate dust. An
normal industrial use. epidemiology study under the conditions of normal occupational
exposure to borate dusts indicated no effect on fertility.
Sensitization: Granubor 2 is not a skin sensitizer.
12 Ecological information
Fish toxicity:
Ecotoxicity data for boric acid
Sea-water8:
General: Boron (B) is the element in sodium tetraborate
Dab, Limanda limanda
pentahydrate (Granubor 2) which is used by convention to
96-hr LC50 = 74 mg B/l*
report borate product ecological effects. Boron occurs naturally
in sea-water at an average concentration of 5 mg B/l and fresh
Fresh water9:
water at 1 mg B/l or less. In diluted aqueous solutions the
Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (embryo-larval stage)
predominant boron species present is undissociated boric acid.
24-day LC50 = 88 mg B/l+
To convert sodium tetraborate pentahydrate into the equivalent
32-day LC50 = 54 mg B/l+
boron (B) content, multiply by 0.1484.
Goldfish, Carassius auratus (embryo-larval stage)
Phytotoxicity: Boron is an essential micronutrient for
7-day LC50 = 65 mg B/l+
healthy growth of plants, however, it can be harmful to boron
3-day LC50 = 71 mg B/l+
sensitive plants in higher quantities. Care should be taken to
minimize the amount Granubor 2 released to the environment.
Environmental fate data
Granubor 2 should only be used as part of a balanced plant nutrition
Bioaccumulation / Degradation: Low bioaccumulation
program preferably after soil and/or tissue analysis.
potential; log Pow = 0.7570 @ 25掳C, based on boric acid.
Additionally sodium tetraborate will undergo hydrolysis in
Algal toxicity6:
water to form undissociated boric acid. Boric acid will not
Green algae, Scenedesmus subspicatus
biomagnify through the food chain.
96-hr EC10 = 24 mg B/l*
Soil mobility: sodium tetraborate is soluble in water.
Invertebrate toxicity7:
Absorption coefficients indicate that sodium tetraborate
Daphnids, Daphnia magna Straus7
is absorbed to sandy loam soil, loam soil, and low humic content
24-hr EC50 = 242 mg B / L+
sand soil and that absorption to humic sand soil is insignificant.
Midge larva, Chironomus riparius
decomposes in the environment to natural borate. Adsorption of
28-day LC50 = 278 mg B/ L dw+
sodium tetraborate to sediments is insignificant.
Earthworm, Eisenia fetida
14-day LC50 = 175 mg B/ L+
Test substance * sodium tetraborate
Respiration rate activated sludge +
boric acid
3-hr EC50 = 175 mg B/ L
13 Disposal considerations
Disposal guidance: Small quantities of Granubor 2 can RCRA (40 CFR 261): sodium tetraborate is not listed as
usually be disposed of at landfill sites. No special disposal hazardous waste under any section of the Federal
treatment is required, but local authorities should be consulted Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
about any specific local requirements. Tonnage quantities of NPRI (Canada): Not listed N/A
product are not recommended to be sent to landfills. Such
product should, if possible, be used for an appropriate
application.
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Granubor 2
14 Transport information
DOT hazardous classification: Granubor 2, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, is not regulated by the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) and is therefore not considered a Hazardous Material.
TDG Canadian transportation: Granubor 2 is not regulated under Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG).
International transportation: N/A, Has no UN number - Not regulated
15 Regulatory information
OSHA/Cal OSHA: This MSDS document meets the Superfund: not listed under CERCLA or its 1986
amendments; Sara 313 does not apply; Sara 311 / 312
requirements of both OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1200) and Cal
applies based on acute oral
OSHA (Title 8 CCR 5194 (g)) hazard communication standards.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) / Clean Water Act
Refer to Section 8 for occupational exposure limits.
WHMIS classification: Granubor 2 is classified as Class D- (Federal Water Pollution Control Act: is not a discharge
covered by water quality criteria and is not listed under
Division 2A under Canadian WHMIS guidelines.
any section of these acts. Consult state and local
Chemical inventory listing: Sodium tetraborate
regulations for possible water quality guidelines or
pentahydrate, Granubor 2, appears on several chemical
advisories regarding boron compounds.
inventory lists including US TSCA, Canada DSL, EU EINECS,
Canadian drinking water guideline: An 鈥淚nterim
Japan, Australia, Philippines, and Korea under the CAS number
representing the anhydrous form of this inorganic salt. Maximum Acceptable Concentration鈥? (IMAC) is currently set at
U.S. EPA TSCA 1330-43-4 5 mg/l boron.
IARC: not listed
Canada DSL 1330-43-4
NTP annual report on carcinogens: not listed
EU EINECS 215-540-4
OSHA Carcinogen: not listed
South Korea 1-760
Japanese MITI (1)-69 California Proposition 65: not listed
RCRA: not listed as a hazardous waste under any section of the Clean Air Act (Montreal Protocol): Granubor 2 was not
Resource Conservation and recovery Act (40 CFR 261 et seq) manufactured with and does not contain any Class I or Class II
ozone depleting substances.
16 Other information
Product label text hazard information:
References
鈥? May be harmful if swallowed.
1) Litovitz T L, Norman S A, Veltri J C, Annual Report of the
鈥? Avoid contamination of food or feed.
American Association of Poison Control Centers Data Collection
鈥? Not for food, drug or pesticidal use.
System. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 4: 427-458 (1986).
鈥? Refer to MSDS.
2) Weir R J, Fisher R S, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 23: 351-364
鈥? KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
(1972).
3) Fail et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol. 17: 225-239 (1991).
National Fire Protection Assoc. (NFPA) classification:
4) Price et al., J. Am. Coll. Toxicol. 14: (2), 173 (Abst. P-17) (1995).
Health 0
5) Murray F J, Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. (Dec. 1995) Flammability 0
Reactivity 0
6) National Toxicology Program (NTP)鈥揟oxicology and
carcinogenesis studies of boric acid in B6C3F1 mice, Tech. Report Hazardous Materials Information Systems (HMIS):
Ser. No. 324, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. NIH Publ. Red: (Flammability) 0
No. 88-2580 (1987).
Yellow: (Reactivity) 0
7) Whorton et al., Occup. Environ. Med. 51: 761-767 (1994). Blue: (Acute Health) 1*
*Chronic effects
8) Sch枚berl et al, Tenside Surfactants Detergents 25: 99-107 (1988).
9) Hugman S J, Mance G, Water Research Centre Report 616-M
(1983).
10) Butterwick L, de Oude N, Raymond K, Ecotoxicol. Environ. For further information contact:
Safety 17: 339-371 (1989).
U.S. Borax Inc.
For general information on the toxicology of inorganic borates,
Occupational Health & Product Safety
see Patty鈥檚 Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, 4th Ed. Vol. II,
(661) 287-6050
(1994). Chap. 42, Boron; ECETOC Tech. Report No. 63 (1995).
Revisions include: June 13, 2005 鈥? Section 12 update;
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