 |
|
ABC of Safety in the Biological Sciences
| Acetaldehyde | Eye and respiratory tract irritation | Bronchiolitis, liver damage |
| Acetic acid | Severe corrosive, dental erosion, bronchitis | |
| Acetic anhydride | Strong, eye and respiratory tract irritation, corrosive | |
| Acetone | Slight, eye and respiratory tract irritant, narcotic | |
| Acetonitrile | Respiratory irritant, cyanide poisoning | |
| Acrolein | Lachrymation, respiratory tract irritant | |
| Aluminium chloride | Severe corrosive, blurred vision, choking | lung oedema |
| Aluminium oxide | Carcinogen, local pain and burning | Pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, pneumonia, pneumothorax, encephalopathy and tumours |
| Ammonia | Strong corrosive, localised burns to eyes, skin and respiratory tract | Permanent lung damage |
| Ammonium oxalate | Severe internal pain | Collapse and death |
| Aniline | Cyanosis, respiratory tract paralysis, slight narcosis | Bladder tumours |
| Aniline blue | Liver and kidney damage, stupor, convulsions, coma | Bladder tumours |
| Arsenic compounds | Severe gastrointestinal tract irritation, cyanosis, collapse | Heart and kidney damage, death |
| Auramine O | Carcinogen and mutagen, visual disturbances, nausea, headache | Bladder tumours |
| Benzene | Narcotic, carcinogen. Headache, nausea, fatigue, irritability | Leukaemia, liver and kidney damage, aplastic anaemia, bladder tumours |
| Carbon tetrachloride | Mutagen and carcinogen. Headache, nausea, jaundice, narcosis, liver and kidney damage, loss of appetite | Liver and kidney damage, gastrointestinal disturbances |
| Chloral hydrate | Nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness | Death |
| Chloroform | As for carbon tetrachloride and is an foetotoxin | |
| Dimethyl sulphoxide | Teratogen and allergen, eye damage, nausea, chills and cramps | Foetal damage during pregnancy |
| Dioxane | Narcosis, kidney and liver damage | |
| Dimethyl formamide | Foetotoxin | |
| 2-ethoxyethanol (cellosolve) | Teratogen and foetotoxin, reduced sperm counts, headache, dizziness, nausea | Liver and kidney damage, foetal damage, anaemia |
| Ethylene glycol | Teratogen, headache, cyanosis, coma | Liver and kidney damage, foetal damage |
| Formalin | Respiratory tract and mucous membrane irritant | Impaired respiratory function |
| Glutaraldehyde | Respiratory tract and mucous membrane irritant | Impaired respiratory function |
| Isopropanol | Lachrymation, narcosis, eye damage, respiratory paralysis, coma | Permanent corneal damage, death |
| d-limonene solvents | Dermatitis, headache, mild disorientation | albuminaria and haematuria |
| Lead salts | Teratogens and potential carcinogens, metallic taste, nausea, dizziness | Lung and kidney damage, anaemia |
| Mercury | Eye and skin irritant, dyspnoea and toxicosis | Toxicosis, respiratory tract damage, kidney damage |
| Lithium carbonate | Mutagen | Foetal damage |
| Mercuric chloride | Gastroenteritis, polyuria, membranous colitis, dysentery | Central nervous system damage, kidney, liver and spleen damage |
| Methanol | Narcosis, damage to optic nerve | Damage to retina and optic nerve, death |
| Methyl trisulphide | Eye and skin irritant, lung damage | |
| Nitric acid | Severe corrosive, dental erosion | Death |
| Nitrobenzene | Cyanosis and narcosis | Anaemia, reduced blood pressure, cyanosis, liver damage, bladder irritation |
| Oxalates | Severe irritants, gastrointestinal erosion and pain | Permanent eye damage, collapse |
| Phenol | Strong, eye, skin and mucous membrane irritant, neurotoxic, liver and kidney damage | Respiratory failure, coma |
| Phloxine | Foetotoxin | |
| Potassium chloride | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea | Circulatory failure, death |
| Potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate | Renal tubular necrosis, gastroenteritis, shock | Heart and kidney damage, fall in blood pressure |
| 2-propanol | Narcotic, uraemia, headache, dizziness, disorientation, coma | Respiratory paralysis, death |
| Pyridine | Liver and kidney damage, neurotoxic | Neurotoxicity |
| Sodium acetate | Eye, skin and mucous membrane irritant, moderately toxic | dyspnoea |
| Sodium azide | Coughing, dizziness, faintness, abdominal spasm | Nervous system damage |
| Sodium sulphite | Corrosive, coughing, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, diarrhoea | Kidney damage, lung oedema, death |
| Tetrahydrofuran | Narcosis, liver and kidney damage, eye and respiratory tract irritant | |
| Toluene | Mutagen, narcotic, anorexia, fatigue, headache, nausea, metallic taste, disorientation, impaired coordination | Neurological impairment, possible addiction, kidney and renal damage, death |
| Trichloracetic acid | Corrosive, coughing, shortness of breath, laboured breathing, blurred vision, abdominal pain | Lung oedema, death |
| Trichloroethylene | Narcosis | Neurological impairment, liver damage |
| Xylene | Narcosis, headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness | Neurological impairment |
Table 13: Toxic effect of some chemicals
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