M10.2: MSDS and ToxNet - (Thimerosal)

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Thimerosal is an organic mercurial used as an antiseptic and as a preservative in most vaccines. I was not able to find a specific MSDS for thimerosal. However, I was able to find one on the GeneTex website and found that if inhaled, one must move to fresh air; if skin exposure one must wash hands thoroughly; and if ingested to drink lots of water and seek medical advice. 

 The special precautions to consider when working with this chemical (if used in large quantities) is to use an alternative chemical product, in addition to recycling any unused portion of the material or return it to the manufacturer/supplier. 

 The personal protective equipment that needs to be used is gloves, eye protective gear, and a respirator if used in large quantities. Since this chemical is found in the workplace through the vaccines in very, very low dosages, the training needed would be proper disposal of needles and appropriate gear such as gloves when administering vaccines.

 Given that the dosage is very minimal in vaccines, the health risk associated with this chemical can be skin conditions like regular allergic contact dermatitis. There is limited research on the carcinogenicity and toxicity of thimerosal in humans. 

 On the MSDS, the exposures and effects appeared more severe than described on ToxNet, however it was better to have received all the information. The MSDS is an adequate tool for a worker to gain an understanding of the health risk and how to protect themselves. Though, there is room for improvement. For people who do not read/understand English, using pictures could be more helpful rather than only words. There needs to be better ways to increase communication for all people using this chemical. 

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 5, 2018 at 7:23 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    It seems like this is a concerning chemical that is used in vaccines, and I think that it is important to have comprehensive MSDS that is easy to understand. I think that there needs to be more guidelines on how the MSDS needs to be set up and improved ways to communicate it effectively to the workers.
    Thank you for your post!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 7, 2018 at 7:36 PM

    Hi Daisy,

    That is interesting that the MSDS revealed that exposure to Thimerosal was more severe than the results you found through ToxNet. When I was looking up products at my workplace, I found that ToxNet provided more detailed information and possible harmful effects than the MSDS provided. I was untrustworthy of what the company’s stated on MSDS and believed that they did not provide full details and risks. I am very glad to hear that your results revealed the opposite of what I thought and that the MSDS can be a very adequate tool in understanding our health risk when exposed to certain chemicals. Great post!

    ReplyDelete

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