We reciently conducted a PAC (Powdered Activated Carbon) study to determine if adding carbon on a regular basis would produce noticable taste & odor improvement. I was a panelist in the trial/study, and also compiled the database. When my boss releases the final statement concerning this issue, I will post it & comment on it... At this time, the results from the lab & the panelists observations are being analyzed, and I don't want to prematurely let the "cat out of the bag"!

Below is some information I find relevant to this page. I am posting it as a public service to YOU, our valued customers & consumers.....

HAZARD SUMMARY

• Carbon Black can affect you when breathed in.
• Overexposure may cause cough with phlegm.
• Repeated exposure may scar the lungs and reduce lung function, with possible shortness of breath. These changes usually develop slowly over many years.
• Some Carbon Black may be contaminated with other chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) that cause cancer.

CONSULT THE NJDOH FACT SHEET ON BENZO(a)PYRENE for effects caused by this type of chemical and ask your employer about PAH contamination.

IDENTIFICATION

REASON FOR CITATION

HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED

• Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples.
• You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer.
• You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.20.
• If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases.
• Take this Fact Sheet with you.

WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS

• OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 3.5 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
• NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 3.5 mg/m3, or 0.1 mg/m3 if it contains PAH's, averaged over a 10-hour workshift.
• ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 3.5 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift.

WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE

• Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn.
• Wear protective work clothing.
• Wash thoroughly at the end of the workshift.
• Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Carbon Black to potentially exposed workers.

HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

Overexposure can cause cough with phlegm. This usually clears up after exposure is properly controlled, but if such exposures are repeated over many months or years, long lasting lung effects may occur.

Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Carbon Black and can last for months or years:

Cancer Hazard

• Carbon Black may contain several substances which are known carcinogens (such as Benzo(a)pyrene). Whether or not it poses a cancer hazard needs further study. It should be handled with caution.

Reproductive Hazard

• According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Carbon Black has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction.

Other Long-Term Effects

• Repeated exposure may cause lung scarring, visible on chest x-ray, and/or some loss of lung function, with a shortness of breath. These changes usually develop slowly over a period of many years, and are not curable.
• If Carbon Black is contaminated with PAHs, skin rashes and other skin changes, including growths, can occur.

MEDICAL

• Chest x-ray (to be read by a special NIOSH "B reader" radiologist).
• Lung function tests.

Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure.
Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.20.

WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES

In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider:
1. how hazardous the substance is,
2. how much of the substance is released into the workplace and
3. whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible.

In addition, the following control is recommended:

Specific engineering controls are recommended for this chemical by NIOSH. Refer to the NIOSH criteria document: Occupational Exposure to Carbon Black #78-204.

Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended:

• Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed.
• Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Carbon Black.
• Wash any areas of the body that may have contacted Carbon Black at the end of each work day, whether or not known skin contact has occurred.
• Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Carbon Black is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating or smoking.
• Do not dry sweep for clean-up. Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean-up.
• Do not smoke in the work area. Even a little vapor inhaled through a burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe will be converted into more highly toxic substances.
• If Carbon Black contains more than 0.1% PAHs - it should be handled with caution as a cancer-causing agent.

FIRE HAZARDS

• Carbon Black is COMBUSTIBLE.
• POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE.
• Use dry chemical, sand, water spray, or foam extinguishers.
• If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained and equipped as stated in OSHA 1910.156.

SPILLS AND EMERGENCIES

• Restrict persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill until cleanup is complete.
• Remove all ignition sources.
• Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers.
• It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Carbon Black as a HAZARDOUS WASTE.
• Contact your Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations.

FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES

CHEMTREC: (800) 424-9300
NJDEP HOTLINE: (609) 292-7172

HANDLING AND STORAGE

1. Prior to working with Carbon Black you should be trained on its proper handling and storage.
2. Carbon Black must be stored to avoid contact with Chlorates, Bromates, and Nitrates since violent reactions occur.
3. Sources of ignition such as smoking and open flames are prohibited where Carbon Black is used, handled, or stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or explosion hazard.
4. If Carbon Black contains more than 0.1% PAHs, it should be used, handled and stored in a regulated area as a carcinogen.

FIRST AID

• Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids.

Skin Contact

• If PAH contamination is present, wash skin promptly after skin contact.

Breathing

• Remove the person from exposure.

PHYSICAL DATA

OTHER NAMES AND FORMULATIONS

• C.I. Pigment black 7
• Channel Black
• Lamp Black
• Furnace Black

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Right to Know Program
CN 368, Trenton, NJ  08625-0368
(609) 984-2202

The searches are carried out on a Filemaker Pro 3.0 database using Russell Owen's ROFM.acgi.

                 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
                 Division of Toxicology
                 1600 Clifton Road, E-29
                 Atlanta, Georgia 30333

This information was provided as a public service to all who are interested in knowing as much as possible about the world around them...and NON chemists too!

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