- Acute effects
- Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis. Chronic inhalation and ingestion may cause effects similar to those of acute inhalation and ingestion. Prolong exposure may cause anemia and methemoglobinemia, characterised by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, breath shortness, cyanosis (bluish skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate-brown coloured blood. Chronic exposure can affect thyroid function. May cause pituitary gland abnormalities.
- Eye contact
- May cause eye irritation.
- Skin contact
- May cause skin irritation. May be absorbed through the skin in harmful amounts. May cause skin sensitization, an allergic reaction, which becomes evident upon re-exposure to this material. If absorbed, causes symptoms similar to those of ingestion.
- Ingestion
- May cause irritation of the digestive tract. May cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), convulsions, and death. Methemoglobinemia is characterised by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate-brown coloured blood. Exposure may cause anaemia and other blood abnormalities
- Inhalation
- May cause respiratory tract irritation. May cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), convulsions, tachycardia, dyspnea (laboured breathing), and death. May cause effects similar to those described for ingestion. Methemoglobinemia is characterised by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate? brown blood.
- Toxicity and irritation
- Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans.