Common Name: Lead CAS Number: 7439-92-1 DOT Number: None Date: October 1986 ----------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Lead can affect you when breathed in and if swallowed from food, drinks, or cigarettes. * Lead is a TERATOGEN--HANDLE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. * Repeated exposure causes Lead build-up in the body. Low levels may cause tiredness, mood changes, headaches, stomach problems and trouble sleeping. * Higher levels may cause aching, weakness, and concentration or memory problems. * Lead can also cause serious permanent kidney or brain damage at high levels. * Lead exposure increases risk of high blood pressure. IDENTIFICATION Lead is a heavy, soft gray metal. It has wide industrial use due to its properties of high density, softness, low melting point, resistance to corrosion and ability to stop gamma and x-rays. REASON FOR CITATION * Lead is on the RTK Hazardous Substance List because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH and NIOSH. * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List because it is a TERATOGEN. 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 * These exposure limits are recommended for inorganic Lead dusts and fumes measured as Lead. OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 0.05 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is less than 0.10 mg/m3 averaged over an 10-hour workshift. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.15 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift. * Lead is a TERATOGEN. All contact with this chemical should be reduced to the lowest possible level. 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 Lead 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 Lead: * Extremely high exposures could cause seizures, but usually symptoms from Lead occur after weeks to months of exposure. Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Lead and can last for months or years: Cancer Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Lead has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals. Reproductive Hazard * Lead is a PROBABLE TERATOGEN in humans. * Lead may decrease fertility in males and females. Other Long-Term Effects * Repeated exposure to Lead causes Lead to build up in the body. The earliest symptoms may be tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach problems, constipation, headaches and moodiness (mostly irritability and depression). * Higher levels may cause aching and weakness in your arms and legs, trouble concentrating and remembering things, and may cause a low blood count (anemia). * Lead can cause serious, permanent kidney and brain damage at high enough levels. * Lead exposure increases risk of high blood pressure. MEDICAL Medical Testing Before first exposure and every six months thereafter, OSHA (1910.1025) requires your employer to provide: * Blood Lead test. * ZPP test (a special test for the effect of Lead on blood cells). Before first exposure, and yearly for exposed person with blood Lead over 40 micrograms per 100 g of whole blood, OSHA also requires a complete medical history and exam with the above tests, and: * Complete blood count. * Kidney function tests. OSHA defines "exposure" for these tests as air levels averages 30 micrograms of Lead or more in a cubic meter of air. OSHA requires your employer to send the doctor a copy of the Lead standard and provide one for you. 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. Mixed Exposures Body exposures to Lead from hobbies using Lead solder or pigments; target practice; and drinking moonshine made in Leaded containers will increase Lead levels. Repeated breathing or handling Leaded gasoline may also add somewhat to body Lead levels. 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 controls are recommended: * Avoid heating above 900oF. * Specific engineering controls are required for this chemical by OSHA. Refer to the OSHA standard 1910.1025 available from OSHA or your employer. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: * When vacuuming, a high efficiency particulate absolute (HEPA) filter should be used, not a standard shop vacuum. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Lead. * Work clothing should be HEPA vacuumed before removal. * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed. * Wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Lead at the end of each workday, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Lead is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating or smoking. * Use a HEPA vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- up. Do not dry sweep. 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 Lead dust and fume. Wear protective gloves, full body and hat 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. * Work clothing should be HEPA vacuumed before removal. Eye Protection * Wear dust-proof goggles when working with powders or dust, unless full face-piece 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 OSHA 1910.134. * Where the potential exists for exposures not higher than 0.5 mg/m3, use a half-mask, air purifying respirator equipped with high efficiency filters. * Where the potential exists for exposures not higher than 2.5 mg/m3, use a full facepiece, air purifying respirator with high efficiency filters. * OSHA requires the employer to provide a powered-air purifying respirator, instead of one of the above, whenever the employee asks to use this type of respirator. * OSHA prohibits the employer from requiring an employee to wear one of the above negative pressure respirators longer than 4.4 hours per day in battery manufacturing and primary and secondary Lead production. * Where the potential exists for exposures not higher than 50 mg/m3, use any powered-air purifying respirator with high efficiency filters or half-mask supplied-air respirator operated in positive pressure mode. * If while wearing a filter, cartridge or canister respirator, you can smell, taste or otherwise detect Lead, or in the case of a full facepiece respirator you experience eye irritation, leave the area immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter, cartridge or canister. If the seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your workplace. You may need a combination of filters, prefilters, cartridges, or canisters to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. * Where the potential exists, for exposures not higher than 100 mg/m3, use supplied-air respirators with full facepiece, hood, helmet or suit, operated in positive pressure mode. * Where the potential exists for exposures greater than 100 mg/m3, use full facepiece, self-contained breathing apparatus operated in positive pressure mode. Common Name: Lead DOT Number: None DOT Emergency Guide code: No Citation CAS Number: 7439-92-1 ---------------------------------------- Hazard rating NFPA FLAMMABILITY Not Found REACTIVITY Not Found ---------------------------------------- DO NOT USE WATER POISONOUS GAS IS PRODUCED IN FIRE ---------------------------------------- Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe FIRE HAZARDS * Lead Powder is FLAMMABLE when exposed to heat or flame. * POISONOUS GAS IS PRODUCED IN FIRE. * Use dry chemicals appropriate for extinguishing metal fires. Do not use water. * If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained and equipped as stated in OSHA 1910.156. SPILLS AND EMERGENCIES If Lead is spilled, take the following steps: * Restrict persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill until clean-up is complete. * Ventilate the area of spill. * Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. * It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Lead as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations. ========================================== FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES immediately call your fire department. ========================================== HANDLING AND STORAGE * Prior to working with Lead you should be trained on its proper handling and storage. * Lead must be stored to avoid contact with OXIDIZERS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES and NITRATES) and CHEMICALLY ACTIVE METALS (such as POTASSIUM, SODIUM, MAGNESIUM and ZINC) since violent reactions occur. * Lead is regulated by an OSHA Standard 1910.1025. All requirements of the standard must be followed. FIRST AID Eye Contact * Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Skin Contact * Remove contaminated clothing. Wash contaminated skin with soap and water. Antidotes and Special Procedures * Persons with significant Lead poisoning are sometimes treated with EDTA while hospitalized. Since this drug causes a rush of Lead from body organs into the blood and kidneys and thus has its own hazards, it must be done only by experienced medical per sons under careful observation. It or other "chelating" drugs should never be used to prevent poisoning while exposures continues or without strict exposure control as severe kidney damage can result. PHYSICAL DATA Vapor Pressure: -1.77 mm Hg at 1832oF Water Solubility: Slightly soluble CHEMICAL NAME Lead ------------------------------------------ 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 Lead and its compounds is one of the metals known since ancient times. It occurs widely in the earth's crust and can be dissolved from rocks and minerals into surface waters. Lead and its compounds have a variety of commercial and industrial uses, such as lead pipe, lead-lined containers for corrosive gases and liquids, tetraethyl lead, paint pigments, alloys in metallurgy, storage batteries, ceramics, electronic devices, and plastics. 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. Toxicity to aquatic life is affected by water hardness - the softer the water, the greater the toxicity. Lead and its compounds have high acute toxicity to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the short-term effects of lead and its compounds 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. Lead and its compounds have high chronic toxicity to aquatic life. Lead causes nerve and behavioral effects in humans and could cause similar long-term effects in birds and land animals exposed to lead and its compounds. WATER SOLUBILITY Lead and its compounds range in their respective water solubilities from highly soluble to practically insoluble. DISTRIBUTION AND PERSISTENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT Lead and its compounds are highly persistent in water, with a half- life greater than 200 days. The half-life of a pollutant is the amount of time it takes for one-half of the chemical to be degraded. 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 lead and its compounds found in fish tissues is expected to be much higher than the average concentration of lead in the water from which the fish was taken. SUPPORT DOCUMENT: AQUIRE Database, ERL-Duluth, U.S. EPA.