Common Name: Vinyl Bromide CAS Number: 593-60-2 DOT Number: UN 1085 Date: October 30, 1986 ----------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Vinyl Bromide can affect you when breathed in. * Contact can irritate the eyes. * Exposure to very high levels may cause you to feel dizzy and lightheaded. IDENTIFICATION Vinyl Bromide is a colorless gas. It is used as an intermediate in organic synthesis and in making plastics. REASON FOR CITATION * Vinyl Bromide is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH and NFPA. HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.20. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. ----------------------------------------- WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS NIOSH: Recommends keeping exposure to the lowest detectable limit. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn. * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly at the end of the work-shift. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Vinyl Bromide to potentially exposed workers. This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below. ------------------------------------------ HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION Acute Health Effects The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Vinyl Bromide: * Contact can irritate the eyes. * Exposure to very high levels may cause you to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Vinyl Bromide and can last for months or years: Cancer Hazard * There is limited evidence that Vinyl Bromide causes cancer in animals. It may cause cancer of the liver. * Many scientists believe there is no safe level of exposure to a carcinogen. Such substances may also have the potential for causing reproductive damage in humans. Reproductive Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Vinyl Bromide has not been tested for its ability to adversely affect reproduction. Other Long-Term Effects * No chronic (long-term) health effects are known at this time. Medical Testing There is no special test for this chemical. However, if illness occurs or overexposure is suspected, medical attention is recommended. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure. Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.20. WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary. In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. In addition, the following control is recommended: * Before entering a confined space where Vinyl Bromide may be present, check to make sure that an explosive concentration does not exist. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace controls are being installed), personal protective equipment may be appropriate. The following recommendations are only guidelines and may not apply to every situation. Clothing * Avoid skin contact with Vinyl Bromide. Wear protective gloves and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/manufacturers can provide recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing material for your operation. * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day and put on before work. Eye Protection * Wear gas-proof goggles, unless full facepiece respiratory protection is worn. Respiratory Protection IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a written program that takes into account workplace conditions, requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and medical exams, as described in * Where the potential exists for exposures over 5 ppm, use a MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece operated in the positive pressure mode or with a full facepiece, hood, or helmet in the continuous flow mode, or use a MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece operated in pressure-demand or other positive pressure mode. Common Name: Vinyl Bromide DOT Number: UN 1085 DOT Emergency Guide code: 60 CAS Number: 593-60-2 ---------------------------------------- NJ DOH Hazard rating FLAMMABILITY 0 REACTIVITY 1 ---------------------------------------- FLAMMABLE GAS POISONOUS GAS IS PRODUCED IN FIRE ---------------------------------------- Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe FIRE HAZARDS * Vinyl Bromide is a flammable gas. * Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray, or foam extinguishers. * POISONOUS GAS IS PRODUCED IN FIRE. * If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained and equipped as stated in OSHA 1910.156. SPILLS AND EMERGENCIES If Vinyl Bromide is leaked, take the following steps: * Restrict persons not wearing protective equipment from area of leak until clean-up is complete. * Remove all ignition sources. * Ventilate area of leak to disperse the gas. * Stop flow of gas. If source of leak is a cylinder and the leak cannot be stopped in place, remove the leaking cylinder to a safe place in the open air, and repair leak or allow cylinder to empty. ========================================== FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES immediately call your fire department. ========================================== HANDLING AND STORAGE * Prior to working with Vinyl Bromide you should be trained on its proper handling and storage. * Vinyl Bromide must be stored to avoid contact with OXIDIZERS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES and NITRATES) and HEAT or FLAME since violent reactions occur. * Sources of ignition, such as smoking and open flames, are prohibited where Vinyl Bromide is used, handled, or stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or explosion hazard. FIRST AID Eye Contact * Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Skin Contact * Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. PHYSICAL DATA Vapor Pressure: 760 mm Hg at 60oF Water Solubility: Insoluble OTHER COMMONLY USED NAMES Chemical Name: Ethene, Bromo- Other Names and Formulations: Bromoethylene; Bromoethane; Monobromoethylene. ------------------------------------------ Not intended to be copied and sold for commercial purposes. ------------------------------------------ NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Right to Know Program CN 368, Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION Vinyl bromide exists as a gas at room temperature, but liquifies at temperatures of 15.8oC and below. It is used in producing other organic chemicals. Vinyl bromide may enter the environment from industrial discharges or spills. ACUTE (SHORT-TERM) ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS Acute toxic effects may include the death of animals, birds, or fish, and death or low growth rate in plants. Acute effects are seen two to four days after animals or plants come in contact with a toxic chemical substance. Vinyl bromide has slight acute toxicity to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the short- term effects of vinyl bromide to plants, birds, or land animals. CHRONIC (LONG-TERM) ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS Chronic toxic effects may include shortened lifespan, reproductive problems, lower fertility, and changes in appearance or behavior. Chronic effects can be seen long after first exposure(s) to a toxic chemical. Vinyl bromide has slight chronic toxicity to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the long- term effects of vinyl bromide to plants, birds, or land animals. WATER SOLUBILITY Vinyl bromide is highly soluble in water. Concentrations of 1,000 milligrams and more will mix with a liter of water. DISTRIBUTION AND PERSISTENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT Vinyl bromide is non-persistent in water, due to volatilization, with a half-life less than 2 days. The half-life of a pollutant is the amount of time it takes for one- half of the chemical to be degraded. About 99.8% of vinyl bromide will eventually end up in air; the rest will end up in the water. BIOACCUMULATION IN AQUATIC ORGANISMS Some substances increase in concentration, or bioaccumulate, in living organisms as they breathe contaminated air, drink contaminated water, or eat contaminated food. These chemicals can become concentrated in the tissues and internal organs of animals and humans. The concentration of vinyl bromide found in fish tissues is expected to be about the same as the average concentration of vinyl bromide in the water from which the fish was taken. SUPPORT DOCUMENT: AQUIRE Database, ERL-Duluth, U.S. EPA.