EYE CONTACT: Direct contact with dusts may cause severe irritation with redness, pain, blurred vision, and possibly corneal injury.

SKIN CONTACT: Non-irritating to intact skin. Absorption through large areas of damaged skin may produce symptoms similar to those following ingestion.

INGESTION: May cause gastrointestinal disturbances such as headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, with delayed effects of skin redness and peeling.

INHALATION: Dust may cause mucous membrane irritation with coughing dryness and sore throat.

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS: No chronic health effects are expected from the intended use of these products or from foreseeable handling of them in the workplace. Nonetheless, the following effects have been reported for a component, sodium borate, and boric acid. Sodium borate upon entry into the body becomes boric acid.

Sodium borate: Sodium borate and boric acid interfere with sperm production, damage the testes and interfere with male fertility when given to animals by mouth at high doses. Boric acid produces developmental effects, including reduced body weight, malformations and death, in the offspring of pregnant animals given boric acid by mouth. The above mentioned animal studies were conducted under exposure conditions leading to doses many times in excess of those that could occur through product use or inhalation of dust in occupational settings. Moreover, a human study of occupational exposure to sodium borate and boric acid dusts showed no adverse effect on fertility.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS BEING AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE: Pre-existing skin conditions and respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma).