Baytzim

Companies that produce "chemicals" have to issue a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each one. Some states, like California, have additional requirements--the "Prop 65" requirements that cause you to see warning signs everywhere you go.

For some reason, I found myself browsing the MSDS for some common chemicals the other day. There are a few indices devoted to finding MSDSs on the Web.

First, lets look at this deadly substance: Sand. Sand from the ocean.   Chemically, it's known as quartz or silicon dioxide. And in California, a company selling pure sand needs to have this warning:

California Prop 65
The following statement(s) is(are) made in order to comply with the California Safe Drinking Water Act:
WARNING: This product contains Sand, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer.
California No Significant Risk Level: None of the chemicals in this product are listed.

Where ever you go in California you'll see signs like this. The sign "overload" causes you to ignore actual dangers. One chemical company, Fischer Scientific, publishes this warning about sand (they're required to by law) which includes things like:

Potential Health Effects
Eye: Dust may cause mechanical irritation.
Skin: Dust may cause mechanical irritation.
Ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract.
Inhalation: Dust is irritating to the respiratory tract.
Chronic: May cause cancer in humans. Prolonged exposure to respirable crystalline quartz may cause delayed lung injury/fibrosis (silicosis).

The chronic danger, and the Cancer risk is if you breathe in sand dust (for example, you operate a sand blaster), the irritations to your lungs can cause an increased cancer risk.

What should you do if you get some sand on your skin?

Skin: Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Get medical aid if irritation develops or persists.

Even more curious is the MSDS for Deionized Water. Yes, there's a MSDS for that, too.

By law, the MSDS has to have a "Cleanup Procedure." For water it's:

Spills/Leaks: Absorb the liquid and scrub the area with detergent and water.

That's right: You're supposed to clean up water spill or leak with water and detergent. I think this can start an endless cycle of cleaning if you're not careful.

To make the California wack-jobs happy, they have to say for the "Prop 65" warning:

California No Significant Risk Level: None of the chemicals in this product are listed.

Notice how it's hedged with no significant risk level. One can never know for sure.