Particularly Hazardous Substances
Hazardous chemicals belonging to certain classes are considered "Particularly Hazardous Substances" (PHSs) by Cal/OSHA. Special provisions must be established to prevent the harmful exposure of researchers to PHSs, including the establishment of designated use areas, the use of containment devices, waste disposal, and decontamination procedures. Detailed information regarding designated areas, containment devices, and decontamination requirements can be found in the Control Measures section of this chapter. Detailed information regarding safe removal of hazardous waste containing PHSs can be found in Chapter 5. The use of PHSs on campus is governed by UCLA Policy 907 .
Particularly hazardous substances are divided into three primary types:
1. Carcinogens
2. Reproductive Toxicants
3. Acute Toxicants
Carcinogens
Carcinogens are chemical or physical agents that cause cancer. Generally, they are chronically toxic substances; that is, they cause damage after repeated or long-duration exposure, and their effects may only become evident after a long latency period. Chronic toxins are particularly insidious because they may have no immediately apparent harmful effects. Carcinogens are indicated under GHS by the health hazard pictogram and a hazard statement which includes the word “cancer”.
These materials are separated into three classes:
A. Select Carcinogens
B. Regulated Carcinogens
C. Listed Carcinogens
A. Select Carcinogens
Select carcinogens are materials which have met certain criteria established by the National Toxicology Program or the International Agency for Research on Cancer regarding the risk of cancer via certain exposure routes. It is important to recognize that some substances involved in research laboratories are new compounds and have not been subjected to testing for carcinogenicity. The following references (links provided) are used to determine which substances are select carcinogens by Cal/OSHA’s classification:
- OSHA Carcinogen List (29 CFR §1910.1003)
- Annual Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) , including all of the substances listed as "known to be carcinogens" and substances listed as "reasonably anticipated to be carcinogens"
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) , including all of Group 1 "carcinogen to humans", Group 2A “probably carcinogenic to humans” and 2B "possibly carcinogenic to humans
C. Listed Carcinogens
Listed carcinogen is a term referring to a list of thirteen specific chemicals contained in 8 CCR §5209 that are considered to pose the highest cancer hazard. They have further requirements for their use in addition to those of regulated carcinogens. Given these strict regulations for Listed Carcinogen use, handling, and/or storage, the Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) must be contacted before any work with these agents begins. The Listed Carcinogens are:
- 2-Acetylaminofluorene
- 4-Aminodiphenyl
- Benzidine (and its salts)
- 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine (and its salts)
- 4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene
- alpha-Naphthylamine
- beta-Naphthylamine
- 4-Nitrobiphenyl
- N-Nitrosodimethylamine
- beta-Propiolactone
- bis-Chloromethyl ether
- Methyl chloromethyl ether
- Ethyleneimine
B. Regulated Carcinogens
Regulated carcinogens fall into a higher hazard class and have extensive additional requirements associated with them. The use of these agents may require personal exposure sampling based on usage. Any spill or release of, or suspected exposure to, a regulated carcinogen must be reported immediately to EH&S at 310-825-9797. When working with Regulated Carcinogens, it is particularly important to review and effectively apply engineering and administrative safety controls as the regulatory requirements for laboratories that may exceed long term (8 hour) or short term (15 minutes) threshold values for these chemicals are very extensive. The Regulated Carcinogens are:
- Acrylonitrile
- Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
- Asbestos
- Benzene
- 1,3-butadiene
- Cadmium metal and cadmium compounds
- Chromium(VI) compounds
- Coke Oven Emissions
- 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)
- Ethylene Dibromide (EDB)
- Ethylene Oxide (EtO)
- Formaldehyde gas and formaldehyde solutions
- Lead and inorganic lead compounds
- Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride)
- 4,4'-Methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA)
- Methylenedianiline (MDA)
- Vinyl Chloride
- All Listed Carcinogens
Image of GHS symbol??
Reproductive Toxicants
Reproductive toxicants include any chemical that may affect the reproductive capabilities, including chromosomal damage (mutations) and effects on fetuses (teratogenesis). Reproductive toxicants are indicated under GHS by the health hazard pictogram and hazard statements which reference damage to “fertility or the unborn child.” Reproductive toxicants which have effects on or via lactation are indicated by the hazard statement “May cause harm to breast-fed children.”
Reproductive toxicants can affect the reproductive health of both men and women if proper procedures and controls are not used. For women, exposure to reproductive toxicants during pregnancy can cause adverse effects on the fetus; these effects include embryolethality (death of the fertilized egg, embryo or fetus), malformations (teratogenic effects), and postnatal functional defects. For men, exposure can cause sterility.
Examples of embryotoxins include thalidomide and certain antibiotics such as tetracycline. Women of childbearing potential should note that embryotoxins have the greatest impact during the first trimester of pregnancy. Because a woman often does not know that she is pregnant during this period of high susceptibility, special caution is advised when working with all chemicals, especially those rapidly absorbed through the skin (e.g., formamide). Pregnant women and women intending to become pregnant should consult with their laboratory supervisor and their physician before working with substances that are suspected to be reproductive toxicants. UCLA Occupational Health also provides pregnancy consultations.
For further guidance on addressing male and female reproductive health risks, and how to reduce potential risks, please view Reproductive Risks in the Lab under How to Reduce Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals.
Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity
The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65, requires the State to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. This list is updated regularly and reviewed by two committees that are a part of The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s Science Advisory Board. The two committees are the Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC) and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DARTIC).
Mutagens
Mutagens are materials that can cause a change (or mutation) in the genetic material of a living cell. Such mutations can lead to reproductive toxicity and play a significant role in the development of cancer. Mutagens are indicated under GHS by the health hazard pictogram and a hazard statement which references “genetic defects”.
Acute Toxicants
Acute toxicants are substances that may be fatal as the result of a single exposure or exposures of short duration via one or more of three routes, which is defined as any of the following:
• A chemical with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 50 mg or less (oral) per kg of body weight;
• A chemical with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 200 mg or less (dermal) per kg of body; or
• A chemical that has a median lethal concentration (LC50) in air of 500 ppm by volume or less of gas, 2.0 mg per liter or less of vapor, or 0.5 mg per liter or less of mist or dust, when administered by continuous inhalation for 4 hours (or less if death occurs within 4 hours).
Substances or mixtures classified by their manufacturer under GHS as Category 1 or Category 2 for acute toxicity meet this definition, and are indicated by the skull-and-crossbones pictogram and a hazard statement which specifies that they are “fatal” via one or more of the three covered exposure routes.