File No: NA/469Date:May 1997

NATIONALINDUSTRIALCHEMICALSNOTIFICATIONANDASSESSMENTSCHEME

FULLPUBLICREPORT

PolymerinHydranND-300A

ThisAssessmenthasbeencompiledinaccordancewiththeprovisions oftheIndustrialChemicals(NotificationandAssessment)Act1989(theAct),andRegulations.ThislegislationisanActoftheCommonwealthofAustralia.TheNationalIndustrialChemicalsNotificationandAssessmentScheme(NICNAS)isadministeredbyWorksafeAustraliawhichalsoconductstheoccupationalhealthsafetyassessment.TheassessmentofenvironmentalhazardisconductedbytheDepartmentoftheEnvironmentandtheassessmentofpublichealthisconductedbytheDepartmentofHealthandFamily Services.

Forthepurposesofsubsection78(1)oftheAct,copiesofthisfullpublicreportmaybeinspectedbythepublicattheLibrary,WorksafeAustralia,92-94ParramattaRoad,Camperdown NSW2050,betweenthefollowinghours:

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Director

ChemicalsNotificationandAssessment

NA/469

FULLPUBLICREPORT

PolymerinHydranND-300A

1.APPLICANT

ACIFibreglassof117FrankstonRoadDANDENONGVictoria3175hassubmittedalimitednotificationstatementinsupportoftheirapplicationforanassessmentcertificatefor Polymer inHydranND-300A.

2.IDENTITYOFTHECHEMICAL

PolymerinHydranND-300Aisnotconsideredtobehazardousbasedonthenatureofthechemicalandthedataprovided. Thereforethechemicalname,CASnumber,molecularandstructuralformulae,molecularweight,spectraldataanddetailsofthepolymercompositionhavebeenexemptedfrompublicationintheFullPublicReportandtheSummaryReport.

Trade Name:HydranND-300A(formulationcontaining~80%ofthenotifiedpolymer)

Number-Average

MolecularWeight(NAMW):1 000

MaximumPercentageofLowMolecularWeightSpecies

MolecularWeight500:

MolecularWeight1000:

10%

20%

3.PHYSICALANDCHEMICALPROPERTIES

Appearanceat 20°C

and101.3kPa:viscous,slightlyyellowliquid(formulation,HydranND-300A)

BoilingPoint:~120°C(formulation,HydranND-300A)

SpecificGravity:~1.2(formulation,HydranND-300A)

VapourPressure:1.68kPaat25°C(formulation,HydranND-300A)

WaterSolubility:notavailable

PartitionCo-efficient

(n-octanol/water):notavailable

HydrolysisasaFunction

ofpH:notavailable

Adsorption/Desorption:notavailable

DissociationConstant:notavailable

FlashPoint:31°C(formulation,HydranND-300A,closedcupmethod)

FlammabilityLimits:UpperExplosiveLimit=2.7%LowerExplosiveLimit=11.75%

thisisforthesolvent,propyleneglycolmonomethylether(PGME),~20%offormulation,Hydran ND-300A

AutoignitionTemperature:notavailable

ExplosiveProperties:notavailable

Reactivity/Stability:notavailable

CommentsonPhysico-ChemicalProperties

Thenotifierclaimsthatthenotifiedpolymerisdispersibleinwater. Thepolymer’swatersolubilityislikelytobelow,itshouldbenotedthathighmolecularweightpolyestersgenerallyhavelimitedsolubility.

Thenotifiedpolymercontainsesterfunctionalities,whicharesubjecttoabioticandbiotichydrolysis,ieesterhydrolysisandaerobicbiodegradation{USEPA,1995

#39}. However,esterhydrolysisintheexpectedenvironmentalpHrangewouldbeprecludedbyitsexpectedlowwatersolubility.

Thepartitioncoefficienthasnotbeendeterminedandwouldbedifficulttotest. Thenotifierclaimsthatthepolymerwillpartitionalmostexclusivelyintotheorganicphase. Themajorityofthepolymerisnotexpectedtocrossbiologicalmembranesbecauseofitshighmolecularweight{Anliker,1988#2;Gobas,1986#6}.

Thenotifierclaimsthatthenotifiedpolymerwilladsorbstronglytotheorganicmatterinsoil. Itisexpectedthatthepolymerwillreadilybindto,orbeassociatedwith,soilandsediment.

Thenotifierdidnotmeasuredissociation.Thepolymercontainsacarboxylicacidmoietyatoneterminus.ThepKaofthisgroupisexpectedtobeapproximately4.9(basedonthecarboxylicacidmoiety).

4.PURITYOFTHECHEMICALDegreeofPurity:highToxicorHazardous

Impurities:1%

Non-hazardousImpurities

(>1%byweight):seeresidualmonomers

MaximumContent

ofResidualMonomers:10%

Additives/Adjuvants:none,theformulationHydranND-300Acontains

~20%propyleneglycolmonomethylether(PGME),CASnumber,107-98-2

5.USE,VOLUMEANDFORMULATION

ThenotifiedpolymerwillnotbemanufacturedinAustralia. ItwillbeimportedintoAustraliaasacomponent(80%)oftheproduct,HydranND-300A,whichalsocontainsapproximately20%ofthesolventPGME. Itwillbeusedasaglassfibresizingsmaterial.

Importvolumesforthenotifiedpolymerare1.2tonnesinyearonerisingto2.4tonnesinyeartwotofive.

Thenotifiedpolymerwillbeusedasglassfibresizingsmaterialonfibreglassreinforcements. Itwillonlybeusedatthenotifier’ssiteinDandenong,Victoria. Itwillnotbemadeavailableforgeneralpublicuse.

6.OCCUPATIONALEXPOSURE

Occupationalexposureduringtransportandwarehousingisunlikelyandwillonlyoccurintheeventofaccidentalspillageorleakagefromthe200Ldrumsinwhichtheformulation,HydranND-300A,isimported. Occupationalexposurewillbegreatestatthenotifier’sfibreglasstreatmentfacilities. Theformulationwillbemanuallydecantedbysix“size”operatorsintoaclosedmixingvesselwhereitisdilutedfromanapproximately80%polymersolutiondowntoapproximately31%.Thisisundertakenwithlocalexhaustventilation. Thefollowingprocessesareundertakenwithgeneralventilationonly. Afterdilutiontheformulationisdrummedoffanddecantedintoasecondclosedtankwhereitisblendedwithother

chemicalstoafinalformulationcontainingapproximately4%ofthenotifiedpolymer.

Thefinalformulationispumpedintoopentrayswhereitisappliedtofibreglassbyarollerdrum. The“forming”operatorswilloverseethisoperationincludingcleaningandgeneralmaintenance. Therewillbe50formingoperators. Thetreatedfibreglasswillcontainapproximately0.5%ofthenotifiedpolymer,whichwhendriedcuresintoacomparativelyinertform.

TheformulationHydranND-300Aalsocontainsapproximately20%oftheflammablesolventPGME,thishasanoccupationalexposurestandardoftime-weightedaverage(TWA)100ppm(369mg/m3)andshorttermexposurelimit(STEL)of150ppm(553mg/m3){NationalOccupational HealthandSafetyCommission,1995#14}. Theuseofexhaustventilationduringmanualdecantingwillreduceexposuretothischemicalaswellasthenotifiedpolymer. Themainexposurepathwaysarelikelytobedermal,althoughthevapourpressureoftheformulation,HydranND-300A,indicatesthatinhalationalexposureispossible.

ThevapourpressureislikelytobemorerepresentativeofthePGMErather thanthepolymerintheformulation. Ocularexposuretothepolymermayoccurviasplashing. Occupationalexposuretothenotifiedpolymerwhenhandlingtreatedfibreglasswillbereducedfurtherasthepolymercures.

7.PUBLICEXPOSURE

ThereisnegligiblepotentialforpublicexposuretoPolymerinHydranND-300Aarisingfromfibreglassformulatingprocesses. Thefinalproduct,containinglessthan0.5%ofthenotifiedpolymer,willbeavailableforindustrialuseonly. Whencured,thepolymerisnotexpectedtoleachfromitssubstrate. Basedontheusepatterndescribed,therewouldonlybelimitedopportunityforpubliccontactwiththenotifiedpolymer.

8.ENVIRONMENTALEXPOSURERelease

Thenotifierestimatesthat10%ofthenotifiedpolymerwillbelostduringapplication(upto240kgatmaximumimportvolumes)duetospills,drips,leaks,etc. Allliquidwastesresultingfromtheapplicationprocessesarecollectedandsenttotheon-sitewastewatertreatmentsystem. Theplantconsistsofdissolvedairflotation(DAF)tankswherewastewateristreatedwithflocculantstoseparatewastechemicalsassludge. ThetreatedeffluentfromtheDAFtanksisthenreleasedtothesewerunderdischargelicencefromthelocalwaterauthority(SouthEasternWater).

Wastealsoresultsfromthecoatedfibreglassscraps,andareestimatedtobe20%(upto480kgatmaximumimportvolumes). Thescrapsarecollectedintoa

disposalbinwhichisemptieddailybywastedisposalcontractors. Thesewastesaredisposedoftolandfill.

Fate

Themajorityofnotifiedpolymerisnotexpectedtobereleasedtotheenvironmentuntilithasbeenfullycuredintoasolidpolymermatrix.Thecoatingcontainingthepolymerwillsharethefateofthefibreglassarticlestowhichitisapplied.

Thefibreglassscraps,whichcontainapproximately0.5%curedcoatingmaterial(ie0.02%notifiedpolymer),willbedisposedoftolandfill. Thenotifiedpolymerwillbestronglyboundwithinthematrixofthecuredcoatingmaterial. Therefore,nohydrolysis,movement,leaching,biodegradationorbioaccumulationofthepolymeris expected.

Thenotifierexpectsthatliquidwastepolymersenttotheplant’swastewatertreatmentplantwillbeadsorbedstronglytosludge. Thesludgefromthisprocessiscompressedanddisposedofas‘prescribedwaste’inaccordancewithLocalandStateRegulations. Anyremainingpolymerleftinthewastewaterwillbereleasedtothesewerforfurthertreatment. Solidsremovedfromthemunicipalwastewatertreatmentprocessareeitherlandfillorincinerated.

Incinerationofthepolymerisexpectedto producewaterandoxidesofcarbon. Anychipsorflakesofthecuredpolymercoatingthatoccur(duetochips,accidents,wearandtear,etc)willbeinert,diffuseandformpartofthe sediments.

9.EVALUATIONOFTOXICOLOGICALDATA

No toxicology datawereprovided,whichis acceptableforpolymersof NAMWgreater than1 000accordingtotheAct.

10.ASSESSMENTOFENVIRONMENTALEFFECTS

Noecotoxicologydatawereprovided,whichisacceptableforpolymersofNAMWgreater than1 000accordingtotheAct.

11.ASSESSMENTOFENVIRONMENTALHAZARD

Themajorityofnotifiedpolymerwillbeincorporatedintoacuredcoatingforfibreglassarticles. Thecoatingcontainingthepolymerwillsharethefateofthearticlestowhichitiscoated. Onlyonemanufacturerwillbeusingtheproductcontainingthenotifiedpolymer. Fibreglassscrapscoatedwiththecuredpolymerproductwillbesenttolandfill(upto480kgofpolymerperyear). Theenvironmentalhazardthroughsuchuseandreleaseisconsiderednegligiblesincereleasesarelow.

Liquidpolymerproductwasteswillbesenttotheplant’son-sitewastewatertreatment system (up to240 kg peryear). Thenotifierexpectsthatthe notifiedpolymerwilladsorbstronglytosludge. Theycalculatethat,assuming90%adsorption/separationinthewastewatertreatmentprocess,approximately24kgperyearofthenotifiedpolymerwillbereleasedtothesewer(atmaximumimportquantities). Assuming60productiondaysand300000kg/dayoftreatedwastewaterreleasedtothesewer,the‘worstcase’concentrationofnotifiedpolymerreleasedtosewerwillbeapproximately1.3ppm. Itisexpectedthatthenotifiedpolymerwillbindstronglytosludgebasedonitsexpectedlowwatersolubility. Anypolymerreleasedtosewershouldberemovedinthemunicipalwastewatertreatmentprocess.

Wastepolymersenttothemunicipalwastewatertreatmentplantwillbehandledaspartofthenormalsolidwasterecovery,anddisposedoftolandfillorthroughincineration. Inlandfill,thepolymerisnotexpectedtobemobileordegradeduetoitsexpectedlowwatersolubility. Incinerationproductsarenotexpectedtopresentasignificanthazardtotheenvironment.

12.ASSESSMENTOFPUBLICANDOCCUPATIONALHEALTHANDSAFETYEFFECTS

No toxicology dataon the notifiedpolymerhavebeensubmitted. The NAMWofthepolymerisgreaterthan1000,whichissufficientlyhightopreventitsabsorptionacrossbiologicalmembranes. Thenotifiedpolymercontainslessthan20%ofspecieswithaNAMWbelow1000andlessthan10%withaNAMWoflessthan

500. Thehighleveloflowmolecularweightspeciesindicatessomepotentialforthissubstancetocrossbiologicalmembranes. Themaximumweightpercentageofresidualmonomersis5%,comprising1%ofadesignatedhazardoussubstance{NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission,1994#10},howevertheconcentrationisbelowthethresholdforhazardousclassificationforthisimpurity. Thepolymerwillbeimportedasapproximately80%oftheformulation. Theother20%,PGME,isaflammablesolvent. Theformulation onthisbasisisclassifiedaClass3DangerousGood{FederalOfficeofRoadSafety,1992#5};PGMEhasanoccupationalexposurestandardofTWA100ppm(369mg/m3){NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission,1995#14}. PGMEisaskinandeyeirritantwiththepotentialforpercutaneousabsorptionandhencesystemiceffects {Toxline Silver Platter, 1996 #27}.

Occupationalexposuretothenotifiedpolymerwillbeunlikelyduringtransportandwarehousingunlessthereisaccidentalspillageorleakingfromimported200Lcontainers. Thereisthepotentialforoccupationalexposureduringreformulationand“forming”,theprocessofapplicationtofibreglass. ThegreatestriskwilloccurwhenhandlingtheconcentratedformHydranND-300A,whichcontainsapproximately80%ofthenotifiedpolymer. Themostlikelyexposurepathwayswillbedermalalthoughocularexposureispossible. Actualexposureriskwillbereducedthroughthevariousstagesofreformulationandapplicationduetodilutionof the polymer. Exposureto the more volatilecomponent of the formulation,PGME,willbeminimisedbylocalexhaustandgeneralventilation. Potentialoccupational

exposurerisksthroughhandlingtheformulation,HydranND-300AwillbemainlyduetothePGMEcomponent.

ThereisnegligiblepotentialforpublicexposuretotheimportedformulationHydranND-300Aduringtransportationandfibreglassmanufacturingoperations. Giventhatproductscontainingthenotifiedpolymerareintendedforindustrialuseonly,thereislowpotentialforpublicexposurearisingfromfinishedgoods. Ifcontactweremadewiththeproductscontainingthenotifiedpolymer,significantexposureisnotanticipatedduetothelowfinalconcentration,physicalstateandrelativelyhighmolecularweightofthenotifiedpolymer.

13.RECOMMENDATIONS

TominimiseoccupationalexposuretoPolymerinHydranND-300Athefollowingguidelinesandprecautionsshouldbeobserved:

  • IndustrialclothingshouldconformtothespecificationsdetailedinAustralianStandard(AS)2919{StandardsAustralia,1987#18};
  • AlloccupationalfootwearshouldconformtoAustralianStandard/NewZealand Standard(AS/NZS)2210{StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand,1994#24};
  • Spillageofproductscontainingthenotifiedchemicalshouldbeavoided,spillagesshouldbecleaneduppromptlywithabsorbentswhichshouldthenbeputintocontainersfordisposal;
  • Goodpersonalhygieneshouldbepractisedtominimisethepotentialforingestion;
  • A copy ofthe MaterialSafety Data Sheet(MSDS) shouldbe easily accessibletoemployees.

Inaddition,whenhandlingHydranND-300A,thefollowingadditionalprecautionsshouldbeobserved;thesetakeintoaccountthepresenceofPGME.

  • SafetygogglesshouldbeselectedandfittedinaccordancewithAS1336

{StandardsAustralia,1994#21}tocomplywithAS/NZS1337{StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand,1992#23};

  • ImpermeableglovesormittensshouldconformtoAS2161{StandardsAustralia,1978#17};
  • The occupationalatmosphericexposurestandard forPGMEofTWA 100ppmandSTELof150ppmshouldbeobservedatalltimes;
  • WhereengineeringcontrolsareinadequateinmaintainingthisexposurestandardthentheappropriaterespiratorydeviceshouldbeselectedandusedinaccordancetoAS/NZS1715{StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand,1994#25}andshouldconformtoAS/NZS1716{StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand,1994#26}.

14.MATERIALSAFETYDATASHEET

TheMSDSfortheformulationcontainingthenotifiedpolymerwasprovidedinaccordancewiththeNationalCode of Practice for thePreparationof MaterialSafetyDataSheets{NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission,1994#13}.

ThisMSDSwasprovidedbytheapplicantaspartofthenotificationstatement. It isreproducedhereasamatterofpublicrecord. Theaccuracyofthis informationremainstheresponsibilityoftheapplicant.

15.REQUIREMENTSFORSECONDARYNOTIFICATION

UndertheAct,secondarynotificationofthenotifiedchemicalshallberequired ifanyofthecircumstancesstipulatedundersubsection64(2)oftheActarise.Nootherspecificconditionsareprescribed.

16.REFERENCES

1.NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission1994,ListofDesignatedHazardousSubstances[NOHSC:10005(1994)],AustralianGovernmentPublishingService,Canberra.

2.USEPA 1995,NewChemicalsProgram(NCP):ChemicalCategories,,gophrer://gopher.epa.gov/00/Offices/PestPreventToxic/Toxic/chemcat/chemcat1.

3.Anliker,R., Moser, P.Poppinger,D.1988,'Bioaccumulationof dyestuffsandorganicpigmentsinfish. Relationshipstohydrophobicityandstericfactors',Chemosphere,vol.17,no.8,pp.1631-1644.

4.Gobas,F.A.P.C.,Opperhuizen,A.Hutzinger,O.1986,'Bioconcentrationofhydrophobicchemicalsinfish:relationshipwithmembranepermeation',EnvironmentalToxicologyandChemistry,vol. 5, pp. 637-646.

5.NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission1995,'AdoptedNationalExposureStandardsforAtmosphericContaminantsintheOccupationalEnvironment,[NOHSC:1003(1995)]',inExposureStandardsforAtmosphericContaminantsintheOccupationalEnvironment:GuidanceNoteandNationalExposureStandards,AustralianGovernmentPublishingService, Canberra.

6.FederalOfficeofRoadSafety1992,Australian Code forthe Transport ofDangerousGoodsbyRoadandRail, 5thedition,AustralianGovernmentPublishingService,Canberra.

7.ToxlineSilverPlatter 1996,ToxlineSilverPlatterCD-ROMdatabase:January1994-June1996,SilverPlatterInternational,N.V.

8.StandardsAustralia1987,AustralianStandard2919-1987,IndustrialClothing,StandardsAssociationofAustralia, Sydney.

9.StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand1994,Australian/NewZealandStandard2210-1994,OccupationalProtectiveFootwear,StandardsAssociationofAustralia/StandardsAssociationofNewZealand,Sydney/Wellington.

10.StandardsAustralia1994,AustralianStandard1336-1994,EyeprotectionintheIndustrialEnvironment, StandardsAssociationofAustralia, Sydney.

11.StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand1992,Australian/NewZealandStandard1337-1992,EyeProtectorsforIndustrialApplications,StandardsAssociationofAustralia/StandardsAssociationofNewZealand,Sydney/Wellington.

12.StandardsAustralia1978,AustralianStandard2161-1978,IndustrialSafetyGlovesandMittens(excludingelectricalandmedicalgloves),StandardsAssociation ofAustralia, Sydney.

13.StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand1994,Australian/NewZealandStandard1715-1994,Selection,UseandMaintenanceofRespiratoryProtectiveDevices,StandardsAssociationofAustralia/StandardsAssociationofNewZealand,Sydney/Wellington.

14.StandardsAustralia/StandardsNewZealand1994,Australian/NewZealandStandard1716-1994,RespiratoryProtectiveDevices,StandardsAssociationofAustralia/StandardsAssociationofNewZealand,Sydney/Wellington.

15.NationalOccupationalHealthandSafetyCommission1994,NationalCodeofPracticeforthePreparationofMaterialSafetyDataSheets[NOHSC:2011(1994)],AustralianGovernmentPublishingService,Canberra.