Highly Hazardous Chemicals

Chemicals are considered highly hazardous for many reasons. They may cause cancer,
birth defects, induce genetic damage, cause miscarriage, or otherwise interfere with the
reproductive process. Or they may be a cholinesterase inhibitor, a cyanide, or other
highly toxic chemical that, after a comparatively small exposure, can lead to serious
injury or even death. Working with compounds like these generally necessitates
implementation of additional safety precautions. Below are definitions of the classes of
chemicals that are considered highly hazardous.

SELECT CARCINOGENS

Chemicals that are strongly implicated as a cause of cancer are termed carcinogenic.
Substances defined by OSHA as select carcinogens fall into one of the categories listed
below.

OSHA Carcinogen - a chemical regulated by OSHA as a carcinogen; each has its own
standard in subpart 2 of the OSHA General Industry Standards.

Known Human Carcinogen -Classified as “known to be carcinogens”, in the most

recent Annual Report on Carcinogens issued by the National Toxicology Program (NTP),
or listed under Group 1 “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC)

Potential Human Carcinogen-Listed under IARC Group 2A “probably carcinogenic to

humans” or Group 2B “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, or classified as “reasonably
anticipated to be a carcinogen” by NTP, and causes statistically significant tumor
incidence in experimental animals under any of the following dosage criteria:

Inhalation exposure - chronic exposure (for a significant portion of a lifetime); 6-7

hours/day, 5 days/week; dose <10mg/m3

Skin exposure - repeated skin exposure of <300mg/kg body weight per week

Ingestion - daily dose <50mg/kg body weight

Important! Remember that a chemical’s lack of inclusion in one of

these lists does not necessarily imply that it is free from carcinogenic
activity. Substances such as ethidium bromide that are used extensively
in research do not have a substantial industrial use and, consequently,
have not undergone a rigorous analysis for carcinogenicity. Although
ethidium bromide is a well-known, potent mutagen it is not included in
any of the lists below. Laboratory staff are reminded to diligently
research a chemical’s toxicity and hazard potential rather than relying
exclusively on its presence in a list.
 OSHA REGULATED CARCINOGENS

2-acetylaminofluorene 1,2 – dibromo-3-chloropropane

Acrylonitrile 3,3 – dichlorobenzidine
Alpha – naphthylamine 4 – dimethylaminoazobenzene
4-aminodiphenyl Ethylene Oxide
Benzene Ethylenimine
Benzidine Formaldehyde
beta-naphthylamine Inorganic Arsenic
beta-propiolactone Methyl Chloromethyl Ether
Bis- chloromethyl ether Methylene Chloride
1,3 – butadiene Methylenedianiline
Cadmium N-nitrosodimethylamine
Coke Oven Emissions Vinyl Chloride

OTHER ‘SELECT CARCINOGENS’ USED IN PSU LABORATORIES

Acrylamide Estrogens, conjugated

Chromium and certain Cr 4-nitrosobiphenyl
compounds
Cyclophosphamide

Chemicals of Unknown but Suspect Carcinogenic Potential

Most laboratories have a number of chemicals for which there is little epidemiological
data regarding its carcinogenicity. Knowledge of a substance’s general chemical
classification can oftentimes aid the researcher in identifying underlying carcinogenic
potential. While these compounds may not fall under the regulatory umbrella of an
OSHA ‘select carcinogen,’ consideration should be given to implementing special
precautions to keep exposures as low as possible.

For example, methyl chloromethyl ether is listed as a known human carcinogen by NTP.
Consequently it falls under the OSHA select carcinogen designation. The carcinogenicity
of structurally similar compounds such as ethyl chloromethyl ether is not well
established, however. The OSHA select carcinogen designation does not strictly
encompass these compounds. However, their close similarity to a well-established
carcinogen should raise a red flag during the risk assessment process and special
consideration should be given towards the need for incorporating additional safety
precautions in the experimental design.

A table delineating the various classes of carcinogenic compounds is provided for

reference.
 CLASSES OF CARCINOGENIC COMPOUNDS [1]

Alkylating Agents Hydrazines

α-Halo ethers Hydrazine and hydrazine salts
Bis(chloromethyl) ether 1,2-Diethyl hydrazine
Methyl chloromethyl ether 1,1-Dimethyl hydrazine
Sulfonates
1,4-Butanediol methylsulfonate (myleran) N-Nitroso Coumpounds
Diethyl sulfate N-Nitrosodimethylamine
Dimethyl sulfate N-Nitroso-N-alkyureas
Ethyl methanesulfonate
Methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate Aromatic Amines
Epoxides 4-Aminobiphenyl
Ethylene oxide Benzidine (4,4'-diaminobiphenyl)
Epichlorohydrin α-Napthylamine
Propylene oxide β-Napthylamine
Azridines Aniline
Ethylenimine 2,4-Diaminotoluene
2-methylaziridine o-Toluidine
Diazo, azo, and azoxy compounds
4-methylaminoazobenzene Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Electrophylic alkenes and alkynes Benzene
Acrylonitrile Benz[a]anthracene
Acrolein Benzo[a]pyrene
Ethyl acrylate
Natural Products (including antitumor
drugs)
Acylating Agents Adriamycin
β-Propiolactone Aflatoxins
β-Butyrolactone Progesterone
Dimethylcarbamyl chloride
Miscellaneous Organic Compounds
Organohalogen Compounds Formaldehyde gas
Carbon tetrachoride Acetadehyde
Chloroform 1,4 Dioxane
1,2 Dibromethane Urethane(ethyl carbamate)
1,4 Dichlorobenzene Hexamethylphosphoramide
Methyl iodide Styrene
Mustard Gas(bis(2chloroethyl)sulfide)
Tetrachloroethylene Heavy Metals
Trichloroethylene Arsenic and certain Arsenic compounds
2,4,6,-Trichlorophenol Beryllium and certain Cd compounds
 Vinyl Chloride Cadmium and certain Cd compounds
Lead and certain Pb Compounds
Nickel and certain Ni compounds
Selenium Sulfide

[1] Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals; National Academy Press,
Washington, D.C., 1995

REPRODUCTIVE TOXINS

Agents Toxic to the Reproductive System [1] , [2] , [3] , [4]

In Men In Women
Anesthetic gases Anesthetic gases
Carbon disulfide Aniline
Chemotherapeutic cancer agents Benzene
Chlordecone (Kepone) Carbon disulfide
Chloroprene Chemotherapeutic cancer agents
Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) Chloroprene
Dinitrotoluene Ethanol consumption
Ethylene dibromide Ethylene oxide
Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether Glycol ethers
Ethylene oxide Formaldehyde
Ethanol consumption Inorganic lead
Glycol ethers Organic lead
Hexane Methylmercury
Inorganic Cadmium Pesticides
Inorganic lead Phthalic acid esthers (PAEs)
Organic lead Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs)
Female oral contraceptives Streptomycin
Pesticides Styrene
Tobacco smoking Tobacco smoking
High temperatures Toluene
Vinyl chloride Vinyl chloride

[1] Casarett and Doull’s TOXICOLOGY The Basic Science of Poisons; 3rd Edition, Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, 1986

[2] INDUSTRIAL TOXICOLOGY Safety and Health Applications in the Workplace, P. L. Williams and J. L. Burson, Eds, Van Nostrand
Reinhold, New York

[3] The Effects of Workplace Hazards on Male Reproductive Health; Department of Health and Human Services National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health Publication No. 96-132

[4] The Effects of Workplace Hazards on Female Reproductive Health; Department of Health and Human Services National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health Publication No. 99-104
 SUBSTANCES WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF ACUTE TOXICITY

Substances with a high degree of acute toxicity are those that can cause death, disability,
or serious injury after a single, relatively low-level exposure. The following table denotes
the OSHA-defined toxicity designations, for various routes of exposures. The criteria for
“highly toxic” appears in bold letters.

Acute Toxicity Hazard Designations

OSHA Other Oral LD50 Skin Contact Inhalation LC503 Inhalation LC50
Hazard Toxicity LD502
Desig- Rating1 (rats, mg/kg) (rats, ppm for 1 hr) (rats, mg/m3 for 1
nation (rabbits, mg/kg) hr)
Highly Highly toxic <50 <200 < 200 <2000
toxic
Toxic Moderately 50 to 500 200 to 1000 200 to 2000 2000 to 20,000
toxic
Slightly toxic 500 to 5000 1000 to 5000 2000 to 20,000 20,000 to 200,000

[1] Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals; National Academy Press,
Washington, D.C., 1995
[2] LD50- The amount of a chemical that when ingested, injected, or applied to the skin of a test animal
under controlled laboratory
conditions will kill one-half (50%) of the animals.
[3] LC50- The concentration of the chemical in air that will kill 50% of the test animals exposed to it.

Short List of Highly Toxic Chemicals

This list of chemicals has been developed by the Department of Environmental Health
and Safety for use in determining the appropriate hazard class for chemical laboratories.
Although other materials meet the criteria for being listed here, they are not commonly
found in University laboratories. Consideration of the materials on this list should lead to
the appropriate designation.
COMPOUND CAS #
ACETONE CYANOHYDRIN (DOT) 75-86-5
ACETONYLBENZYL)-4-HYDROXYCOUMARIN, 3-(ALPHA- 81-81-2
ACROLEIN, INHIBITED (DOT) 107-02-8
ACTIDIONE 66-81-9
ACTINOMYCIN D 50-76-0
AFLATOXINS 1402-68-2
ALDRIN (DOT) 309-00-2
ALLYL BROMIDE (DOT) 106-95-6
ALLYL ISOTHIOCYANATE 57-06-7
ALLYLIDENE DIACETATE 869-29-4
ALUMINUM PHOSPHIDE (DOT) 20859-73-8
AMINO PYRIDINE, 2- 504-29-0
AMINOPTERIN 54-62-6
AMINOPYRIDINE, 4- 504-24-5
ANTU (NAPHTHYLTHIOUREA, ALPHA-) 86-88-4
ARSENIC ACID, SODIUM SALT (SODIUM ARSENATE) 7631-89-2
ARSENIC ACID, SOLUTION 7778-39-4
ARSENIC IODIDE 7784-45-4
ARSENIC PENTASULFIDE 1303-34-0
ARSENIC PENTOXIDE (DOT) 1303-28-2
ARSENIC TRICHLORIDE 7784-34-1
ARSENIC TRIOXIDE 1327-53-3
ARSENIC TRISULFIDE 1303-33-9
ARSENIOUS ACID (ARSENIC TRIOXIDE, SOLID) 1327-53-3
ARSENIOUS OXIDE (ARSENIC TRIOXIDE, SOLID) 1327-53-3
ARSINE 7784-42-1
AZINPHOS-METHYL 86-50-0
AZIRIDINE 151-56-4
BAY 25141 115-90-2
BENZEDRINE 300-62-9
BENZENETHIOL (PHENYL MERCAPTAN) (DOT) 108-98-5
BIDRIN 141-66-2
BORON TRIFLUORIDE 7637-07-2
BUSULFAN 55-98-1
BUTANEDIOL DIMETHYLSULFONATE, 1,4- 55-98-1
BUTYL-4,6-DINITROPHENOL, 2-SEC- 88-85-7
CALCIUM ARSENATE, SOLID 7778-44-1
CALCIUM CYANIDE 592-01-8
CARBON OXYFLUORIDE 353-50-4
CARBONYL CHLORIDE 75-44-5
CARBONYL FLUORIDE 353-50-4
CARBONYL SULFIDE 463-58-1
CHLORINATED DIPHENYL OXIDE 31242-93-0
CHLORINE (DOT) 7782-50-5
CHLORINE PENTAFLUORIDE 13637-63-3
CHLORINE TRIFLUORIDE 7790-91-2
CISPLATIN 15663-27-1
CYANOGEN 460-19-5
CYANOGEN CHLORIDE 506-77-4
CYCLOHEXIMIDE 66-81-9
CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE 50-18-0
DASANIT 115-90-2
DAUNOMYCIN 20830-81-3
DDVP (DICHLORVOS) 62-73-7
DEMETON, MIXED ISOMERS 8065-48-3
DICHLORO-N-METHYLDIETHYLAMINE, 2,2'- 51-75-2
DICHLORVOS 62-73-7
DICROTOPHOS 141-66-2
DIELDRIN (DOT) 60-57-1
DIETHYL S-[2-(ETHYLTHIO)ETHYL]PHOSPHORODITHIOATE, O- 298-04-4
DIETHYLHYDRAZINE, 1,2- 1615-80-1
DIISOPROPLY FLUOROPHOSPHATE 55-91-4
DIMETHYL MERCURY 593-74-8
DINITRO-O-CRESOL, 4,6- 534-52-1
DINITROPHENOL, 2, 4- 51-28-5
DINOSEB 88-85-7
DIOXATHION 78-34-2
DISULFOTON 298-04-4
DNBP 88-85-7
ENDOSULFAN 115-29-7
ENDRIN 72-20-8
EPN 2104-64-5
ETHION 563-12-2
ETHYLENEIMINE (DOT) 151-56-4
FENAMIPHOS 22224-92-6
FENSULFOTHION 115-90-2
FLUOROACETIC ACID, SODIUM SALT 62-74-8
FONOFOS 944-22-9
GLYCOLONITRILE 107-16-4
GUTHION 86-50-0
HEPTACHLOR 76-44-8
HEPTACHLOR EPOXIDE 1024-57-3
HYDROCYANIC ACID, LIQUIFIED 74-90-8
HYDROGEN CHLORIDE GAS 7647-01-0
HYDROGEN CYANIDE 74-90-8
HYDROGEN FLUORIDE GAS 7664-39-3
HYDROXY-3(3-OXO-1-PHENYLBUTYL)-2H-1-BENZOPYRAN-2-ONE 81-81-2
IRON PENTACARBONYL 13463-40-6
LANNATE 16752-77-5
MELPHALAN 148-82-3
MERCURIC CHLORIDE 7439-97-6
METHYL CYCLOPENTADIENYL MANGANESE TRICARBONYL, 2- 12108-13-3
METHYL HYDRAZINE 60-34-4
METHYL IODIDE 74-88-4
METHYL MERCURY 593-74-8
METHYL PARATHION, LIQUID 298-00-0
METHYL VINYL KETONE, INHIBITED (DOT) 78-94-4
METHYL-BIS(2-CHLOROETHYL) AMINE (NITROGEN MUSTARD), N- 51-75-2
METHYL-N-NITROSO-METHANAMINE,N- 62-75-9
METHYLAZIRIDINE, 2- (PROPYLENEIMINE, INHIBITED) 75-55-8
METHYLHYDRAZINE (DOT) 60-34-4
METHYLPROPYL)-4,6-DINITRO-PHENOL,2-(1- 88-85-7
MEVINPHOS 7786-34-7
MITOMYCIN C 50-07-7
MONOCROTOPHOS 6923-22-4
MYLERAN 55-98-1
NAPHTHYLTHIOUREA, ALPHA- 86-88-4
NITROGEN MUSTARD 51-75-2
NITROSODIMETHYLAMINE, N- 62-75-9
PARAQUAT, RESPIRABLE FRACTION 2074-50-2
PERFLUOROISOBUTYLENE 382-21-8
PHENYL MERCAPTAN (DOT) 108-98-5
PHENYLPHOSPHINE 638-21-1
PHORATE 298-02-2
PHOSDRIN (MEVINPHOS) 7786-34-7
PHOSGENE 75-44-5
PHOSHONOTHIOIC ACID, O-ETHYL O-(P-NITROPHENYL)ESTER, 2104-64-5
PHOSPHINE 7803-51-2
PHOSPHORUS PENTAFLUORIDE 7641-19-0
POTASSIUM CYANIDE, SOLID (DOT) 151-50-8
PREMERGE 88-85-7
PROPANENITRILE 107-12-0
PROPIONITRILE 107-12-0
PROPYLENEIMINE, INHIBITED (DOT) 75-55-8
SODIUM AZIDE 26628-22-8
SODIUM CYANIDE, SOLID (DOT) 143-33-9
STRYCHNINE, SOLID (DOT) 57-24-9
SULFOTEP 3689-24-5
SYSTOX 8065-48-3
TETRACHLORODIBENZO-P-DIOXIN, 2,3,7,8- (TCDD) 1746-01-6
TETRAETHYL DITHIOPYROPHOSPHATE (TEDP) 3689-24-5
TETRAETHYL LEAD, LIQUID 78-00-2
TETRAETHYLPYROPHOSPHATE, LIQUID 107-49-3
THIODAN (ENDOSULFAN) 115-29-7
THIOPHENOL (PHENYL MERCAPTAN) (DOT) 108-98-5
TRIETHYLENETHIOPHORAMIDE, N,N',N''- 52-24-4
TRIMETHYLENETRINITRAMINE 121-82-4
URACIL MUSTARD 66-75-1
VANADIUM PENTOXIDE 1314-62-1
VAPATONE (TETRAETHYLPYROPHOSPHATE, LIQUID) 107-49-3
WARFARIN 81-81-2