Safety
AGRICULTURAL
MU Guide
PUBLISHED BY MU EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/
Understanding the Material Safety
Data Sheet
Fred Fishel, Department of Agronomy
Paul Andre, Missouri Department of Agriculture
Awareness of the importance of safety has increased which the product is shipped, or it may be submitted
in the pesticide and pest control industry over the past electronically or delivered by mail. As the pesticides are
several decades. This awareness has grown in response further distributed to satellite suppliers, dealers, or
to activities by the government and the public as well users, a copy of the MSDS must accompany their orig-
as the news media, including coverage of major chem- inal orders. Thus, MSDSās are disseminated along the
ical accidents. The Occupational Safety and Health distribution chain until they eventually reach businesses
Administration (OSHA) in 1989 expanded its Hazard whose employees will be applying the products.
Communication Standard to cover all employees who Although the MSDS is a necessary part of the
could potentially be exposed to hazardous chemicals in Hazard Communication Standard, there is no specific
their work areas ā? regardless of the place of employ- format prescribed for the presentation of its contents.
ment or the nature of the work. The Hazard Communi- Therefore, MSDSās from various manufacturers may
cation Standard requires that chemical manufacturers differ dramatically in organization and appearance yet
and importers thoroughly evaluate chemicals that they still present the required data. To help bring order to the
produce and import to determine their hazard potential. MSDS format, the American National Standards
If a chemical presents a hazard, a material safety data Institute has published a voluntary standard prescribing
sheet (MSDS) must be developed to communicate the the division of MSDS data into 16 sections. The sequence
hazard potential to users. and titles of the sections as specified in the standard
A large amount of pesticide hazard information is would create consistency from manufacturer to manu-
generated in the course of fulfilling regulatory require- facturer. For data sheets prepared in accordance with the
ments for product registration. The Environmental standard, the 16 section titles and their order of appear-
Protection Agency requires approximately 120 tests, ance is the same from manufacturer to manufacturer,
yielding primarily toxicological, environmental and but the amount of information within a given section is left
physical property data, much of which can be used in to the discretion of each individual manufacturer.
the MSDS. This publication presents the 16 sections of the
Chemical manufacturers are required by the Hazard MSDS with a brief interpretation of the section contents.
Communication Standard to provide an MSDS to the Note: The examples that follow were taken from numer-
purchaser of the product at the time of the first order ous MSDSās from various manufacturers; it is important
and, thereafter, anytime the MSDS is significantly to note that these examples do not represent an actual
revised. The MSDS may be included with the pallet on MSDS for any one product.
Section 1. Product and company identiļ¬cation
Product name: Acme Termiticide Concentrate Productās brand name.
Manufacturer: Acme Agrosciences
P.O. Box 12345
Companyās identiļ¬cation and where to obtain information.
9330 Chemical Way
Indianapolis, IN
Telephone number for information: (800) 123-4567 Non-emergency information regarding the product.
CHEMTREC: (800) 424-9300 CHEMical TRansportation Emergency Center phone number
for transportation emergencies.
$.75 G 1913 Printed with soy ink on recycled paper
Section 1. Product and company identiļ¬cation (Continued)
EPA registration number: 264-945 EPA assigns each registered product its own identity number.
Date prepared: October 15, 1999 Date on which the MSDS was prepared.
Code number: 000897 Identiļ¬cation number assigned by the manufacturer.
Chemical family: Pyrethroid pesticide One of the classiļ¬cations of pesticides.
MSDS number: S000-10000 Speciļ¬c product identiļ¬cation assigned by the manufacturer.
Section 2. Composition/information on ingredients
Chemical ingredients The active ingredient controls the pest. Inert ingredients can
Active ingredient: propachlor, 2,3-diethyl.......20% help make the product safer and easier to handle. Both the
Inert ingredient: attapulgite.............................80% active and inert ingredients must be listed if they are known to
contribute to the productās hazard potential unless they are a
trade secret.
CAS Reg. No.
Active and inert ingredients are also identiļ¬ed by their Chemi-
propachlor 1919-16-7
cal Abstract Service (CAS) number.
attapulgite 8031-13-3
Section 3. Hazards identiļ¬cation
Emergency overview: brown liquid, aromatic odor. Causes
This information is intended for emergency response
substantial but temporary eye injury. Harmful if absorbed
personnel.
through skin.
Potential health effects:
Acute eye: causes redness, irritation, tearing.
Acute effects occur immediately upon exposure to the
Acute skin: nonirritating.
substance through the eyes or skin or by inhalation or
Acute inhalation: may cause respiratory tract irritation.
ingestion.
Acute ingestion: may cause loss of coordination, burns to
mouth and esophagus.
Chronic effects: This product contains ingredients that are
Chronic effects are those due to long-term exposure to the
considered to be probable or suspected human carcinogens
substance.
(see Section 11 - Chronic).
Section 4. First aid measures
Eyes: Hold eyelids open and ļ¬ush with a steady, gentle
stream of water for at least 15 minutes. Seek immediate med- What to do if the product gets into the eyes.
ical attention, preferably with an opthalmologist.
Skin exposure: In case of contact, wash with plenty of soap and
What to do if the product gets on the skin.
water. Seek medical attention if irritation develops or persists.
Inhalation: Remove the victim from immediate source of
exposure and assure that the victim is breathing. If breathing
is difļ¬cult, administer oxygen, if available. If victim is not What to do if the product is breathed into the lungs.
breathing, administer CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Seek medical attention.
Ingestion: If victim is conscious and alert, give 2ā?3 glasses
of water to drink and do not induce vomiting. Seek immediate What to do if the product is swallowed.
medical attention.
Notes to physician: All treatments should be based on
observed signs and symptoms of distress in the patient. Con- Speciļ¬c instructions to the physician. Users should be familiar
sideration should be given to the possibility that overexposure with where this is found on the MSDS so that in an emer-
to materials other than this product may have occurred. Treat gency, the information can be given to the physician quickly.
symptomatically. No speciļ¬c antidote available. This material Any treatment listed in this section should not be attempted
is an acid. The primary toxicity of this product is due to it irri- by a nonmedical person.
tant effects on mucous membranes.
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Section 5. Fire ļ¬ghting measures
Flash point: 63 degrees C/145 degrees F The minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off vapor in
sufļ¬cient concentration to ignite near the surface of the liquid
or in the test vessel used.
Lower explosive limit: 2.6% The upper and lower explosive limits are concentrations in air
Upper explosive limit: 12.6% that will produce a ļ¬ash of ļ¬re when an ignition source is
present.
Extinguishing media: Recommended: foam, water, carbon Speciļ¬c instructions to ļ¬reļ¬ghters on how to extinguish a ļ¬re
dioxide, dry chemical. involving the chemical.
Personal protective equipment: Wear self-contained
Description of safety equipment that ļ¬reļ¬ghters should use in
breathing apparatus (pressure-demand MSHA/NIOSH
case of ļ¬re involving the chemical.
approved or equivalent) and full protective gear.
Special procedures: Contain runoff. Remain upwind. Avoid
Safety instructions to emergency personnel responding to the
breathing smoke. Use water spray to cool containers exposed
ļ¬re.
to ļ¬re.
Unusual ļ¬re and explosion hazards: Product will burn
Additional safety information for emergency personnel.
under ļ¬re conditions.
Hazardous decomposition materials (under ļ¬re condi- By-products formed due to ļ¬re that may pose a risk to emer-
tions): hydrogen chloride, oxides of carbon. gency personnel and the environment.
Section 6. Accidental release measures
Evacuation procedures and safety: Wear appropriate pro-
tective gear for the situation. See personal protection informa- Actions to take when dealing with a spill.
tion in Section 8.
Containment of spill: Stop leak if it can be done without risk.
Dike spill using absorbent or impervious materials such as
earth, sand or clay.
Cleanup and disposal of spill: Absorb with vermiculite or
other inert absorbent. Shovel up into an appropriate closed
container (see Section 7: Handling and Storage). Decontami-
nate tools and equipment following cleanup.
Environmental and regulatory reporting: If spilled on the
ground, the affected area should be removed to a depth of 1ā?2
inches and placed in an appropriate container for disposal.
Prevent material from entering public sewer system or any
waterways. Spills may be reported to the National Response
Center (800-424-8802) and to state and/or local agencies.
Section 7. Handling and storage
Minimum/maximum storage temperatures: 0 to 50 Temperature range for storing the product in order to prevent
degrees C (32 to 122 degrees F) chemical separation, inactivation, crystallization, coagulation
or other breakdown.
Handling: Do not breathe vapors and mists. Do not get on
skin or in eyes. Do not ingest. Use handling, storage and dis-
Procedures to minimize the risks of accidental exposure or
posal procedures that will prevent contamination of water,
release of the product.
food or feed. Avoid freezing. If freezing occurs, thaw and
remix before using.
Storage: Store in an area that is away from ignition sources. Procedures that minimize potential storage hazards.
Section 8. Exposure controls/personal protection
Ingestion: Prevent eating, drinking, tobacco usage and cos-
metic application in areas where there is a potential for expo- Protective measures to reduce the likelihood of swallowing.
sure to the material. Always wash thoroughly after handling.
Eye contact: To avoid eye contact, wear safety glasses with Protective measures to reduce the likelihood of the pesticide
side shields or chemical goggles. getting in the eyes.
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Section 8. Exposure controls/personal protection (Continued)
Skin contact: To avoid skin contact, wear rubber gloves, rub- Protective measures to reduce the possibility of getting the
ber boots, long-sleeved shirt, long pants and a head covering. pesticide on the skin.
Respiratory protection: To avoid breathing dust, use a
particulate ļ¬lter, NIOSH-approved per 42 CFR Part 84. Select
N or R or P type as appropriate for the oil characteristics of The type of respirator, if any, needed when handling this
any other air contaminants present. Filter efļ¬ciency may product.
range from 95% to 99.7% as appropriate for the size distribu-
tion of dusts present.
Engineering controls: If needed, use local exhaust to keep Procedures used to maintain airborne levels below TLV
exposures to a minimum. (Threshold Limit Value) or PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit).
PEL and TLV identify the concentration of chemical in the air,
Exposure guidelines: Benomyl: PEL (OSHA): 15 mg/m3,
below which workers would not be expected to experience
total dust, 8 hr. TLV (ACGIH): 0.84 ppm, 10 mg/m3, 8 hr.
health problems during a 40-hour work week.
Section 9. Physical and chemical properties
Color: Yellow liquid. Describes the physical appearance of the chemical.
Odor characteristic: Kerosene odor. Describes the product odor for detection purposes.
pH: 4.1 Aqueous solution. pH values from 0 to 2 and from 12 to 14 are usually corrosive
to skin and eyes. Also may be helpful in neutralizing a chemi-
cal spill.
Speciļ¬c gravity (Water = 1): 0.95 The weight of the chemical compared to the weight of an
equal volume of water.
Vapor density (Air = 1): 4.8 Weight of the chemicalās vapor compared to air. Vapors with
weight values less than 1, rise. Those with weight values
greater than 1, sink and concentrate.
Vapor pressure: 3 mm Hg @ 25 degrees C/77 degrees F Measurement of the potential of the chemical to convert to a
gaseous form.
Boiling point: 176 degrees C (349 degrees F) Temperature at which a liquid becomes a vapor.
Solubility in water: 0.1 ppm A measurement of the amount of material that will dissolve in
water. Materials with a value of 100 ppm and less are consid-
ered to be relatively insoluble, while those with values greater
than 1,000 ppm are considered very soluble.
Section 10. Stability and reactivity
Chemical stability: Stable at normal temperatures and stor- Usually general terms to describe the chemicalās stability. At
age conditions. times, temperatures will be listed at which the chemical
becomes unstable.
Hazardous polymerization: Will not occur. This is a statement that states if the product will react danger-
ously with itself to form other products.
Conditions to avoid: Avoid freezing temperatures. Describes conditions under which the product may damage
the product, the container or cause a hazardous condition.
Chemical incompatibility: Oxidizing agents. Describes other materials which may react with the product.
Hazardous decomposition products: HCl, HF, NO3 during A list of by-products that are formed when the product burns
or is subjected to other conditions.
combustion.
Section 11. Toxicological information
ACUTE DATA
Eye irritation: Rabbit: substantial irritation. Consequences of short-term exposure to eyes.
Skin irritation: Rabbit: severe irritation Consequences of short-term exposure to skin.
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Section 11. Toxicological information (Continued)
Oral LD50: Rat: 3600 mg/kg Toxicity of short-term exposure from ingestion. The LD50 is
the dose level that is expected to cause the death of 50% of
the test animals.
Dermal LD50: Rabbit: >5000 mg/kg Toxicity by absorption through the skin.
Inhalation LC50: Rabbit: 11 mg/L for 4 hr Toxicity from breathing dusts, fumes or vapors. The LC50 is
the concentration of dust, fume or mist that is expected to kill
50% of the test animals.
Skin sensitization: Guinea pig: sensitizing An allergic reaction on tissue after repeated exposure.
CHRONIC DATA
Chronic toxicity studies: Liver (alteration and enlargement)
Adverse health effects resulting from long-term exposure to a
and thyroid effects (hormone imbalances) at high dose levels
chemical, or long-term effects from short exposures.
(rats); decreased body weight gains.
Mutagenicity data: This product does not pose a mutagenic Effects of exposure to a substance that may change the
hazard. genetic material in a living cell.
Reproductive/teratology data: No birth defects were noted
in rats and rabbits given dithiopyr technical orally during preg-
Effects of exposure that may affect the ability to reproduce
nancy. No effects were seen on the ability of male or female
viable offspring or cause birth defects.
rats to reproduce when fed dithiopyr technical for two succes-
sive generations.
Carcinogenicity data: Benign thyroid tumors (species-
speciļ¬c). The U.S. EPA lists prodiamine as a possible human The ability of a substance to cause cancer.
carcinogen based on limited evidence from animal studies.
Section 12. Ecological information
Eco-acute toxicity
Bluegill sunļ¬sh, 96-hour LC50: 0.47 mg/l
Rainbow trout, 96-hour LC50: 0.46 mg/l
Daphnia magna, 48-hour LC50: 5.2 mg/l This section describes indicator species that were used in
Bobwhite quail, 5-day dietary LC50: >5620 ppm toxicity testing.
Mallard duck, 5-day dietary LC50: >5620 ppm
Bobwhite quail, Acute oral LC50: >2250 mg/kg
Honeybee, LD50: 81 g/bee
Environmental fate The breakdown processes of a chemical when exposed to
various environmental elements.
Photolysis: Unstable, half-life less than 1 hour. Exposure to sunlight.
Hydrolysis: Stable soil half-life: 2 months. Exposure to water.
Section 13. Disposal considerations
Procedures: For disposal, incinerate this material at a facility
Directions and limitations for disposal of the material.
that complies with local, state and federal regulations.
Section 14. Transportation information
Proper shipping name: Triazine pesticide, liquid, toxic The ofļ¬cial shipping name and description that should appear
(cyanazine). on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping papers.
Hazard class: Class 9. DOT recognizes 9 classes of hazardous materials. Typically,
the lower the number, the more hazardous the material.
UN No.: UN 3082 The number assigned for identiļ¬cation by the United Nations
(UN) convention.
Special information: Marine pollutant. Special provisions for a particular hazardous material.
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Section 14. Transportation information (Continued)
Packing group: III. Speciļ¬es one or more packing groups for the material based
on the hazard of great (I), medium (II), or minor (III) signiļ¬?-
cance. May assist in selecting the proper packaging materials
and labels.
Section 15. Regulatory information
Workplace classiļ¬cation: This product is considered haz-
The Occupational Safety and Health Administrationās inter-
ardous under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
pretation of the productās hazard to workers.
(29 CFR 1910.1200).
SARA Title 3: Section 311/312 Categorizations (40 CFR
Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) cat-
372): This product is a hazardous chemical under 29 CFR
egory. SARA requires reporting any spill of any hazardous
1910.1200, and is categorized as an immediate and delayed
substance.
health, and ļ¬ammability physical hazard.
TSCA status: Exempt from TSCA. Toxic Substances Control Act statement regarding its regula-
tion. This law covers the production and distribution of com-
mercial and industrial chemicals in the United States.
RCRA classiļ¬cation: Reactive Resource Conservation and Recovery Actās classiļ¬cation.
RCRA regulates hazardous waste generators and
transporters.
CERCLA reportable quantity: This material contains no Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation
hazardous or extremely hazardous substances as deļ¬ned by and Liability Actās classiļ¬cation. CERCLA provides EPA
CERCLA. authority to respond to releases of hazardous substances.
Section 16. Other information
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) ratings: NFPAās scale: 0 = least; 1 = slight; 2 = moderate; 3 = high;
Health = 2; Flammability = 1; Reactivity = 0. 4 = extreme. Classiļ¬cation and properties of hazardous
chemical data.
Issue date: 1/2/92 Original MSDS publishing date.
Revised date: 2/8/99 Date that MSDS was amended.
Supersedes: 2/3/99 Date of previous MSDS.
Responsibility for MSDS: Acme Agrosciences
Address: P.O. Box 12345
9330 Chemical Way
Indianapolis, IN
Telephone: 800-555-1234
s Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of
OUTREACH & EXTENSION Agriculture. Ronald J. Turner, Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Missouri and Lincoln University, Columbia, MO 65211. s University
Outreach and Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or status as a Vietnam
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
era veteran in employment or programs. s If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need this publication
COLUMBIA
in an alternative format, write ADA Officer, Extension and Agricultural Information, 1-98 Agriculture Building, Columbia, MO 65211, or call (573)
882-7216. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
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