Common Name: Vanadium CAS Number: 7440-62-2 DOT Number: None Date: August 1, 1987 ------------------------------------------ HAZARD SUMMARY * Vanadium can affect you when breathed in. * Exposure may irritate the eyes, nose, throat and air passages, with cough and phlegm. * Eye contact may cause irritation. IDENTIFICATION Vanadium is a gray or white shiny powder or solid metal. It is used to make steel alloys and other Vanadium compounds; in making x ray equipment and in making Sulfuric Acid and synthetic rubber. REASON FOR CITATION * Vanadium is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by NIOSH. * Definitions are attached. 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: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 1 mg/m3 averaged over a 10 hour workshift for Vanadium metallic. 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 workshift. 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 Vanadium 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 Vanadium: * Contact may irritate the eyes. * Breathing Vanadium may irritate the nose, throat and air passages, with cough and/or phlegm. * Exposure may cause a green coating on the tongue. Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Vanadium and can last for months or years: Cancer Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Vanadium has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals. Reproductive Hazard * According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Vanadium has not been tested for its ability to adversely affect reproduction. Other Long Term Effects * Very irritating substances may affect the lungs. It is not known whether Vanadium causes lung damage. MEDICAL Medical Testing For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the TLV or greater), the following are recommended before beginning work and at regular times after that: * Lung function tests. If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following may be useful: * Urine test for Vanadium. 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. Conditions Made Worse By Exposure Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce your risk of developing health problems. 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: * Specific engineering controls are recommended for this chemical by NIOSH. Refer to the NIOSH criteria document: Occupational Exposure to Vanadium #77 222. Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended: * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Vanadium should change into clean clothing promptly. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Vanadium. * Wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Vanadium at the end of each workday, whether or not known skin contact has occurred. * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Vanadium is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating or smoking. * Use a 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 Vanadium. 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 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 over 1 mg/m3, use a MSHA/NIOSH approved respirator equipped with particulate (dust/fume/mist) filters. More protection is provided by a full facepiece respirator than by a half mask respirator, and even greater protection is provided by a powered air purifying respirator. Particulate filters must be checked every day before work for physical damage, such as rips or tears, and replaced as needed. * If while wearing a filter, cartridge or canister respirator, you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect Vanadium, 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 for high exposures exists, 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: Vanadium DOT Number: None DOT Emergency Guide code: No Citation CAS Number: 7440-62-2 ---------------------------------------- NJ DOH Hazard rating FLAMMABILITY Not Found REACTIVITY Not Found ---------------------------------------- DO NOT USE WATER ---------------------------------------- Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe FIRE HAZARDS * Large pieces of Vanadium are not combustible. The fine powder can burn. * 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 Vanadium is spilled, take the following steps: * Restrict persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill until cleanup is complete. * Remove all ignition sources if a powder is spilled. * Ventilate 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 Vanadium as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state Environmental Program for specific recommendations. ========================================== FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES immediately call your fire department. ========================================== HANDLING AND STORAGE * Prior to working with Vanadium you should be trained on its proper handling and storage. * Vanadium must be stored to avoid contact with OXIDIZERS (such as CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE and BROMINE TRIFLUORIDE) since violent reactions occur. * Store the powder in tightly closed containers in a cool, well ventilated area away from HEAT and SPARKS. * Use only non sparking tools and equipment, especially when opening and closing containers of the powder. FIRST AID POISON INFORMATION 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 water. PHYSICAL DATA Water Solubility: Insoluble ------------------------------------------ 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 Vanadium is an element which is widely dispersed in the earth's crust at low concentrations. It is ordinarily recovered from its raw materials in the form of pentoxide, and sometimes as sodium and ammonium vanadate salts. In the elemental form (fume or dust), it is used to make rust-resistant steel. Vanadium may enter the environment from industrial discharges. 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. The acute toxicity of elemental vanadium (fume or dust) to aquatic life is unknown, but the compound ammonium vanadate is moderately toxic to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the short-term effects of elemental vanadium (fume or dust) 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. The chronic toxicity of elemental vanadium (fume or dust) to aquatic life is unknown, but ammonium vanadate has high chronic toxicity to aquatic life. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the long-term effects of vanadium (fume or dust) to plants, birds, or land animals. DISTRIBUTION AND PERSISTENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT Elemental vanadium is not likely to dissolve in surface water. It will probably be highly persistent in aquatic ecosystems, but will not accumulate in edible tissues of aquatic species. SUPPORT DOCUMENT: AQUIRE Database, ERL-Duluth, U.S. EPA.