SAFETYStorage,Transportation,HandlingandDisposalofFORMALDEHYDE(FORMALIN)SOLUTION

InReplyReferTo:
MailStop405July30,1993
WATERRESOURCESDIVISIONMEMORANDUMNO.93.44
Subject:SAFETYStorage,Transportation,HandlingandDisposal
ofFORMALDEHYDE(FORMALIN)SOLUTION
Thepurposeofthissafetymemorandumistoprovidetechnicalguidanceinthe
handling,storage,transportationanddisposalofthechemicalformaldehyde
(formalin)insolution,asprovidedunder29CFR1910.1048andother
applicableFederalandStateregulationsasamended.
CHEMICALCHARACTERISTICS:
Formaldehydeisacolorlessgaswithapungent,suffocatingodor,mostoften
usedinaqueoussolutionsforpurposesofpreservingspecimens.Formalin,the
liquidformaldehydesolutionusedbytheWaterResourcesDivision,isa3050
percentformaldehydebyweightsolutionwhichcancontain1015percent
methanol.Formalin,whenexposedtoair,willemitformaldehydegas.
Formaldehydeisahighlyflammableliquid/gasandshouldbeconsideredafire
hazard.Itstronglyoxidizesinthepresenceofalkalis,acidsandphenols.
HEALTHHAZARDS:
AcuteEffects
A.Ingestionconcentrationsgreaterthan10percentcausessevere
irritationandinflammationofthemouth,throat,andstomach.Following
ingestion,severestomachpains,lossofconsciousnessanddeathcan
occur.
B.Inhalationhighlyirritatingtotheupperrespiratorytract.
Concentrationsof.05to2.0partspermillion(p/m)mayirritatemouth,
eyes,noseandthroatwhile3to20p/mcancauseexcessivetearing,difficulty
inbreathingandcoughingthatmaybeintolerabletosomepersons.At
2530p/mformaldehydecausessevererespiratorytractinjury,
pulmonaryedemaandpneumonitis.Formaldehydeisimmediately
dangeroustolifeandhealthataconcentrationof100p/m.
C.DermalFormalinisasevereskinirritantcausingdiscoloration
drying,crackingandscaling.Prolongedexposurescanleadtonumbnessand
hardeningofskin,allergiceczematousdermatitisorhives.
D.EyesDependinguponconcentration,cornealcloudingandlossof
visioncanoccur.
CHEMICALCHARACTERISTICS:
ChronicEffects
A.CarcinogenicityInhumans,formaldehydeexposurehasbeen
associatedwithcancersofthelung,nasopharynx,oropharynxandnasal

passages.Repeatedandprolongedexposuresincreasesrisk.
B.MutagenicityFormaldehydeismutagenicinseveralinvitro
testsystemsshowingpropertiesofbothaninitiatorandapromoter.
C.ToxicityProlongedorrepeatedexposuremayresultinrespiratory
impairment.Ratsexposedto2p/mformaldehydedevelopednasal
tumorsandchangeincellstructureofthenosewhilehumanshavebeen
observedtohavestructuralchangesintheepithelialcellsinthenose.
Warning/Caution
Theperceptionofformaldehydebyodorandeyeirritationbecomesless
sensitivewithtimeandcanleadtooverexposureifworkersarerelyingon
formaldehyde'spropertiestoalertthemtopotentialdanger.
EXPOSURELIMITS:
Thelegalairbornepermissibleexposurelimit(PEL)is1p/mina8hour
workday.Shorttermexposure(15minutes)islimitedto2p/mwhiletheaction
levelforformaldehydeis0.5p/m.
FIELDHANDLINGANDUSE:
TransportationFormaldehydeshouldbetransportedonlyinoriginalcontainer,
fullylabeledandstoredproperlywithinthevehicletopreventshifting,
spillageorbreakage.Formaldehydeshouldneverbeopened,mixedor
transferredtosamplevialsatanytimeinsideaclosedvehicle.A
MaterialsSafetyDataSheet(MSDS)shouldbeinthepossessionofthe
userandmadeavailabletothoseworkingwiththischemical.
ContingencySpillsandResponseDuringoperationaluseand/orduring
transportationwhereanaccidentalspillislikelytooccur,eachfieldunit
shouldhaveaspartoftheirrequiredemergencyequipment,sufficientabsorbent
materialtohandlesmallspills.Clean,1gallonplasticNalgenecontainers
withTeflonscrewcaps,orequivalent,clearlylabeled,shouldbeavailable
forsmallspillsandfortransportingusedformalinfromthefieldtothe
laboratoryforproperdisposal.Careshouldbeexercisedduringcleanup
thatnopersonbecomesdermallyexposedtoformaldehyde.If,duringthe
emergency,thespilloccurswherethereisinsufficientventilationtoproceed
withcleanup,theareashouldbevacatedimmediatelyandothersshouldbe
preventedfromenteringthespillareaunlessproperlysuitedandwitha
selfcontainedairsupply.Properauthoritiesshouldbenotifiedifthe
spilloccursonaroadwayorhaspotentialtodoharmbyenteringawater
supplyorotherbodiesofwaterwherethereisagreaterexposurepotential
tohumansand/oranaquaticecosystem.Arecordofhowmuchofthechemical
wasspilledandthemethodofcleanupandproperdisposalshouldbeunder
takenoncethespillhasbeencontainedanddealtwith,notduringthe
emergency.Ifexposedtoformaldehyde,flushexposedskinwithcopious
amountsofwaterandremovecontaminatedclothingasquicklyaspossible
topreventcontinuedexposure.
PERSONALPROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT:
Atalltimes,formaldehydeshouldonlybehandled,mixedoraddedtospecimen
containerswiththeupmostcaution,inventilatedareassuchasopenair
tableifinthefieldandunderanappropriatefumehoodifinthelaboratory.
Formaldehydeshouldneverbeopenedormixedwhileinsideavehicle.If
thereisthepossibilityofsplashing,afaceshieldshouldbewornwhile
mixingorpouringformaldehyde.Atalltimes,disposableglovesmustbe
worntopreventdermalexposurewhenhandlingand/ormixingthisproduct.

NEVERsmokeorhaveanopenflamewhileworkingwithformaldehyde.
STORAGE:
Formaldehydeshouldbestoredinacool,dry,wellventilatedareaandproperly
labeled.Formaldehydeshouldneverbestoredinvehiclesexcepttotransport
toandfromfieldduringsamplingoperations.Usedformaldehyde,eitherfrom
spillcleanuporfromactivitiesgeneratedfromtheprocessofchangeoutof
samplecontainersmustbestoredinaproperlylabeledhazardouswaste
containerandmadeavailableforrecyclingunderResourcesConservation
RecoveryAct(RCRA)protocols.Storageofwasteformaldehydeshouldbein
anareanotfrequentedbythegeneralpopulationordutyworkersandshould
beinanareanotsubjecttoheatcyclesandwellventilated.
DISPOSAL:
Spilledorusedformaldehydeisconsideredahazardouswasteandmustbe
handledasasolidwasteunderRCRA.Thegeneratorbeitinthefield
officeorthedistrictofficemustcontactahazardouswastecontractor
forappropriatedisposalunderRCRAregulations.AnEnvironmentalprotection
Agency(EPA)identificationnumbermustbeobtainedforeachsitefromwhich
disposalofaregulatedmaterialorwastewillbemade.Instructionsonhow
toobtainanEPAidentificationnumberwereincludedinthe"Hazardous
MaterialsAssessment"documenttransmittedonMay14,1993,bytheChief,
BranchofOperationalSupport.UniformHazardousWasteManifests(EPSform
870022)andrecordsmustbemaintainedontheamountsofwasteformaldehyde,
storagetime,andthecontractorinvolvedinthehazardouswasterecycling.

WilliamB.MannIV
AssistantChiefHydrologistforOps
AUTHORITY
1.Section19ofOccupationalSafetyandHealthAct(OSHA)1970
PublicLaw91596.
2.ExecutiveOrder12196,OccupationalSafetyandHealthProgramsfor
FederalEmployees.
REFERENCEREGULATIONS
1.29CFR1910.1000(OSHA)ToxicandHazardousSubstances
2.29CFR1910.1048(OSHA)Formaldehyde
3.29CFR1910.1200(OSHA)HazardCommunication
4.29CFR1910.1048(OSHA)Formaldehyde,IrritantandPotentialCancer
Hazard
5.29CFR1910.1450(OSHA)OccupationalExposuretoHazardous
ChemicalsinLaboratories
6.40CFR262(EPA)StandardsApplicabletoGeneratorsofHazardous
Wastes
7.49CFR172.101(DOT)TableofHazardousMaterialsandSpecial
Provisions
ThismemorandumdoesnotsupersedeanypreviousWRDMemorandum.
Distribution:A,B,S,FO,PO

KeyWords:HazardousMaterials,Transportation,Chemical