Hi Dean. Thank you for pointing out the differences between silver silver metal and silver compounds. Silver metal seems to be pretty safe. suzy
In a message dated 11/17/00 10:42:26 PM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > Here's the data from one toxicity site: Comments in brackets [] are > mine. > > **************************************** > > NTP CHEMICAL REPOSITORY SILVER > > -IDENTIFIERS > =========== > > *CATALOG ID NUMBER: 001228 > *CAS NUMBER: 7440-22-4 > *BASE CHEMICAL NAME: SILVER > *PRIMARY NAME: SILVER > *CHEMICAL FORMULA: Ag > *STRUCTURAL FORMULA: > *WLN: AG > > *SYNONYMS: > ARGENTUM > C.I. 77870 > L-3 > SHELL SILVER > SILVER ATOM > > -PHYSICAL CHEMICAL DATA > ====================== > > *PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS: Literature: White metal, face-centered cubic > > > structure > *MOLECULAR WEIGHT: 107.93 > *SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 10.50 at 20 C degrees > *DENSITY:Not available [????] > *MP (DEG C): 961.93 > *BP (DEG C): 2212 > > *SOLUBILITIES: > WATER : Not available > DMSO : Not available > 95% ETHANOL : Not available > METHANOL : Not available > ACETONE : Not available > TOLUENE : Not available > > OTHER SOLVENTS: > Water: Insoluble > Nitric acid (HNO3): Soluble > Sulfric acid (hot, H2SO4): Soluble > Potassium cyanide (KCN): Soluble > Alkali: Insoluble > > *VOLATILITY : Vapor pressure: 1 mm at 1357 C degree > *FLAMMABILITY(FLASH POINT): Dust is flammable. > *UEL: Not available LEL: Not available > > *REACTIVITY: > Blackened by ozone, sulfur and hydrogen sulfide. Readily reacts with > dilute nitric acid and hot concentrated sulfuric acid. Superficially > attacked by hydrochloric acid. Most silver salts are light sensitive. > Inert to most acids. > > *STABILITY: Fairly stable compound. > > *OTHER PHYSICAL DATA: Specfic gravity: 10.53 > > -TOXICITY > ======== > > *NIOSH REGISTRY NUMBER: VW3500000 > > *TOXICITY: (abbreviations) > typ. dose mode specie amount unit other > TCLo ihl hmn 1 mg/m3 TFX:SKN > > *AQTX/TLM96: Not available > > *SAX TOXICITY EVALUATION: THR: An experimental heoplasma via > implantation rout > > *CARCINOGENICITY: > Tumorigenic Data: > TDLo: mul-rat 330 mg/k3/43W-I > TDLo: imp-rat 2400 mg/kg > TDLo: imp-mus 11 mg/kg > TD : imp-rat 2570 mg/kg > [Notice the extreme amounts needed] > > *MUTAGENICITY: Not available > > *TERATOGENICITY: Not available > > *STANDARDS, REGULATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: > OSHA: Federal Register (1/19/89) and 29 CFR 1910.1000 Subpart Z > Transitional Limit: PEL-TWA 0.01 mg(Ag)/m3 [610] > Final Limit: PEL-TWA 0.01 mg(Ag)/m3 [610] > ACGIH: TLV-TWA 0.1 mg(Ag)/m3 [610] > NIOSH Criteria Document: None > > NFPA Hazard Rating: Health (H): None [No Health hazards for silver] > Flammability (F): None > Reactivity (R): None > > *OTHER TOXICITY DATA: > Review: Toxicology Review-5 > Status: "NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods" Vol. 5, #173, 5, #182 > Reported in EPA TSCA Inventory, 1980 > > > -OTHER DATA (Regulatory) > ======================= > > *PROPER SHIPPING NAME (IATA): Not restricted > > *UN/ID NUMBER: > > *HAZARD CLASS: SUBSIDIARY RISK: PACKING GROUP: > > *LABELS REQUIRED: > > *PACKAGING: PASSENGER: PKG. INSTR.: MAXIMUM QUANTITY: > CARGO : PKG. INSTR.: MAXIMUM QUANTITY: > > *SPECIAL PROVISIONS: > > *USES: > For coinage, most frequently alloyed with copper or gold. > For manufacting of tableware, mirrors, jewelry and ornaments. > For making vessels and appatatus used in manufacting medical > chemicals. > For electroplating, processing foods and beverages and organic acids. > For a catalyst in hydrogenation and oxidation processes. > For ingredient of dental alloys. > Purification of drinking water because of toxicity to bacteria and > lower forms of life. > Some salts used in photography. > > *COMMENTS: > Silver compounds may be irritant to skin and mucus membrane. [Note: > compounds, not the pure metal.] > Soft dutile, mallible and lustrous metal. > > -HANDLING PROCEDURES > =================== > > *ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: > Fire hazard: Moderate in the form of dust when exposed to flame or > by chemical reaction with C2H2, NH3, CIF3, H2O2, H2SO4, bromoazide, > ethyleneimine, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. > Radiation hazard: Possible; see reactivity. > > *MINIMUM PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Not available > > *OTHER: Not available > > *STORAGE PRECAUTIONS: > You should store this chemical in a freezer and away from all mineral > acids and bases. [This must be comic relief.] > > *DISPOSAL AND WASTE TREATMENT: Can resell as scrap metal. > > -EMERGENCY PROCEDURES > ==================== > > *SYMPTOMS: > Does not cause serious toxic manifestations, but prolonged absorption > of silver compounds can lead to grayish blue discoloration of skin > known as argyria or argyrosis. Salts are irritating to skin and mucus > membranes. Inhalation of dust should be avoided. [Note: Again, > silver compounds are referenced, not silver metal.] > > *FIREFIGHTING: > A fire in your laboratory involving this chemical should be > extinguished with a dry chemical, carbon dioxide or halon > extinguisher. [More comic relief.] > > > -SOURCES > ======= > *SOURCES: > Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Tentative > OSHA Listing of Confirmed and Suspected Carcinogens by > Category. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. > Washington, DC. 1979. Listed > > Aldrich Chemical Company. Aldrich Catalog/Handbook of Fine > Chemicals. Aldrich Chemical Co., Inc. Milwaukee, WI. > 1980. p. 840, 20,436-6 > > Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Environmental Teratogen Information > Center (ETIC), Bibliographic Data Base. Oak Ridge National > Laboratory. Oak Ridge, TN. Listed > > Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Environmental Mutagen Information > Center (EMIC), Bibliographic Data Base. Oak Ridge National > Laboratory. Oak Ridge, TN. Listed > > Steere, N.V., Ed. Handbook of Laboratory Safety. 2nd Ed. > CRC Press, Inc. Cleveland, OH. 1971. p. 812-3, 913 > > U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Toxic Substances. > Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substances Inventory, > Initial Inventory. 6 Vols. U.S. Environmental Protection > Agency. Washington, D.C. 1979. Listed > > Proctor, N.H. and J.P. Hughes. Chemical Hazards of the Workplace. > J.B. Lippincott. Philadelphia. 1978. p. 442-3 > > Hawley, G.G., Ed. The Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 10th Ed. > Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York. 1981. p. 913 > > International Technical Information Institute. Toxic and > Hazardous Industrial Chemicals Safety Manual for Handling > and Disposal with Toxicity and Hazard Data. International > Technical Information Institute. 1978. p. 464, 571 > > Sax, N.I. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 5th Ed. > Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York. 1979. p. 970 > > Windholz, M., Ed. The Merck Index. 9th Ed. Merck and Co. > Rahway, NJ. 1976. p. 1100, 8244 > > Weast, R.C. and M.A. Astle, Eds. CRC Handbook of Chemistry > and Physics. 60th Ed. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton, FL. > 1982. b-122, s-124 > > Lewis, R.J., Sr. and R.L. Tatken, Eds. Registry of Toxic > Effects of Chemical Substances. DHEW (NIOSH) Publication > No. 79-100. National Institute for Occupational Safety > and Health. Cincinnati, OH. 1979. VW3500000 > > [610] Clansky, Kenneth B., Ed. Suspect Chemicals Sourcebook: A > Guide to Industrial Chemicals Covered Under Major Federal Regulatory > and Advisory Programs. Roytech Publications, Inc. Burlingame, CA. > 1990. Section 3, p. 111. > > [620] United States National Toxicology Program. Chemical Status > Report. NTP Chemtrack System. Research Triangle Park, NC. November > 6, 1990. Not listed. > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moyn (CDP, KB0ZDF) > > >
