Subject: Boric acid toxicity (was: L.L. $ B. Co...)

From: Michael Spencer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 96 00:29:01 EDT

> Check your visine bottle, boric is an ingredient, you'll have to
> prove toxicity to me.

Here part of the poop on boric acid.

If you have a gopher client or web browser, you can look at:

     gopher://atlas.chem.utah.edu:70/11/MSDS

where there are toxicity sheets for a long list of chemicals.

    "LD50" (see below) is the dose which killed 50% of the test animals
    to which that dose was given.

I should say that, in reading these data sheets, you have to avoid
taking too alarmist a view.   If you look up somthing that you know
quite a lot about, the warnings may sound pretty scary and you
realize that some of them are worst-case effects. The same thing
happens if you look up, in the Physician's Desk Reference or the
mfgr's poop sheet, the clinical warnings on a medication you're
taking.  You have to use some judgement *based on* what's in these
sheets. Visine and boric acid ointment contain, I think somthing like
1% or less boric acid, while this sheet is talking about the
crystaline solid as a powder.

Another site to look at has a list of toxicity-related links:

    http://www.nsc.org/nsc/ehc/ehtoxlnk.html

- Mike

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSDS for   BORIC ACID                                     Page  1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1 - PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRODUCT NAME:     BORIC ACID
FORMULA:          H3BO3
FORMULA WT:          61.83
CAS NO.:          10043-35-3
NIOSH/RTECS NO.:  ED4550000
COMMON SYNONYMS:  BORACIC ACID;  ORTHOBORIC ACID;  BOROFAX
PRODUCT CODES:    0084,5168,0090,0091,9820
  EFFECTIVE: 10/03/86     
  REVISION #02   

                            PRECAUTIONARY LABELLING
BAKER SAF-T-DATA(TM) SYSTEM

                      HEALTH        -  2  MODERATE
                      FLAMMABILITY  -  0  NONE
                      REACTIVITY    -  0  NONE
                      CONTACT       -  2  MODERATE
HAZARD RATINGS ARE 0 TO 4 (0 = NO HAZARD; 4 = EXTREME HAZARD).

LABORATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

SAFETY GLASSES; LAB COAT; VENT HOOD; PROPER GLOVES

PRECAUTIONARY LABEL STATEMENTS

                                   WARNING
                               CAUSES IRRITATION
                 HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN
AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES, SKIN, CLOTHING.
AVOID BREATHING DUST.  KEEP IN TIGHTLY CLOSED CONTAINER.  USE WITH ADEQUATE
VENTILATION.  WASH THOROUGHLY AFTER HANDLING.

SAF-T-DATA(TM) STORAGE COLOR CODE:     ORANGE (GENERAL STORAGE)

    [sections 2,3,4 omitted]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5 - HEALTH HAZARD DATA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOXICITY:   LD50 (ORAL-RAT)(MG/KG)          -  2660
            LD50 (SCU-RAT)(MG/KG)           -  1400
            LD50 (IV-RAT) (MG/KG)           -  1330

CARCINOGENICITY:  NTP: NO     IARC: NO     Z LIST: NO     OSHA REG: NO

EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE
  INGESTION IS HARMFUL AND MAY BE FATAL.
  DUST INHALATION MAY CAUSE TIGHTNESS AND PAIN IN CHEST, COUGHING, AND
  DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING.
  CONTACT WITH SKIN OR EYES MAY CAUSE IRRITATION.
  PROLONGED EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE DERMATITIS.
  INGESTION MAY CAUSE NAUSEA, VOMITING, HEADACHES, DIZZINESS,
  GASTROINTESTINAL IRRITATION.
  CHRONIC EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE MAY INCLUDE KIDNEY AND/OR LIVER DAMAGE.

TARGET ORGANS
  NONE IDENTIFIED

MEDICAL CONDITIONS GENERALLY AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE
  DAMAGED SKIN

ROUTES OF ENTRY
  INGESTION, INHALATION, SKIN CONTACT, EYE CONTACT

EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES
  CALL A PHYSICIAN.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSDS for   BORIC ACID                                     Page  3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  IF SWALLOWED, IF CONSCIOUS, GIVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER. INDUCE VOMITING.
  IF INHALED, REMOVE TO FRESH AIR.  IF NOT BREATHING, GIVE ARTIFICIAL
  RESPIRATION.  IF BREATHING IS DIFFICULT, GIVE OXYGEN.
  IN CASE OF CONTACT, IMMEDIATELY FLUSH EYES OR SKIN WITH PLENTY OF WATER FOR
  AT LEAST 15 MINUTES.

    [sections 6,7 omitted]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   8 - PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VENTILATION:             USE ADEQUATE GENERAL OR LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION
                         TO KEEP FUME OR DUST LEVELS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION:  NONE REQUIRED WHERE ADEQUATE VENTILATION
                         CONDITIONS EXIST.  IF AIRBORNE CONCENTRATION IS
                         HIGH, USE AN APPROPRIATE RESPIRATOR OR DUST MASK.

EYE/SKIN PROTECTION:     SAFETY GLASSES WITH SIDESHIELDS, UNIFORM, RUBBER
                         GLOVES ARE RECOMMENDED.

    [remaining sections omitted]

---

From: [email-masked] (Bill Fiorini)
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 06:07:43 -0500

>I decided to try boric acid/a. borax mix.  Went down to the pharmacy.  The
>pharmacist said the health risk was mostly from ingestion and that he
>doubted that inhalation was a real problem.  I think I'll be careful about
>inhalation anyway.
>
>
>Ray Coon
>Damascus, OR

Lets face it folks.  Almost everything we work with in ferrous metal work
is toxic.
Bill

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 09:36:41 -0400

To All,
Speaking of toxicity...
Look up asprin in the Drug handbook. The description of side and toxic
effects goes on for three pages at least. Then look up all of the chemicals
present in bituminous coal and their effects on your health. How long can you
hold your breath?
Welding? If the UV does not get you, the ozone will.
Working in a well ventilated shop is one way of at least minimizing the
exposure.

Hochewa

---

From: Bradley Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 16:36:38 -0400

>Working in a well ventilated shop is one way of at least minimizing the
Hi Bill,
        it is Bill, isn't it? Bradley here. I recall that there were some
people in the group building or planning shops. When we were building my
shop, we got a bunch of those skinny horizontal metal factory windows and
put them all across at the top of  the building as clerestory windows. I
think they were about 7$ apiece.
        We open them with a long pole w/a hook on the end. Anyhow, the fumes
just roll up the slanted shed roof and out. 'course, so does the heat in
winter. We get some of that heat back because that whole south side of the
shop is windows.... also factory windows.. not quite so cheap. But we heat
with wood or coal, and none of my paints have frozen in 10 years. When we
get really cold feet, we use a salamander. nice machine.

            see ya
                                                                            
                    Bradley

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 10:03:17 -0400

To All,
Boron, the element, is use to increase the hardenability of steel. One of the
best examples is Main Line Rail. The head is ususlly induction hardened for
better wear resistance. Straight rail steel won't harden through but with the
addition of .0002% Boron the head goes at least bainitic all the way to the
core. A little goes a long way. The addition of borax or the like to the
surface of steel will not have any effect.

Hochewa