WHMIS (Lithium hydroxide)

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

WHMIS 2015 classification - Note to reader

• Skin corrosion/irritation - Category 11 2
• Strong base: pH of saturated solution = 14

• Serious eye damage/eye irritation - Category 11 2

• Reproductive toxicity - Category 1A3 4 5 6 7 8
• Toxic to the development

• Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure - Category 11 2 4

• Health hazards not otherwise classified (corrosion) - Category 1

Danger

Causes severe skin burns and eye damage (H314)
May damage fertility or the unborn child (risk of fetal cardiac malformations) (H360)
Causes damage to organs (central nervous system) through prolonged or repeated exposure (H372)
Causes severe damage to the respiratory tract

Ingredient disclosure

Comments: Due to the lack of data, classifications regarding reproductive toxicity (H360) and specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure (H372) were established by analogy to lithium carbonate.

References

• ▲1.  ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) , Information on chemicals (REACH)/ECHA chemicals database. Helsinki, Finland.   http://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/registered-substances
  https://chem.echa.europa.eu/
• ▲2.  Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail, CHEMINFO, Hamilton, Ont. : Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety   http://ccinfoweb.ccohs.ca/cheminfo/search.html
• ▲3.  Moore, J.A., «An assessment of lithium using the iehr evaluative process for assessing human developmental and reproductive toxicity of agents.» Reproductive Toxicology. Vol. 9, no. 2, p. 175-210. (1995). [AP-046801 ]
• ▲4.  NIOSH, Health hazard evaluation report, Lithium corporation of America. Bessemer City, North Carolina. (1981). HHE 80-036-922.
• ▲5.  Poels, E.M.P. et al., «Lithium during pregnancy and after delivery: a review.» International journal of bipolar disorders. Vol. 6, no. 26. (2018).   https://journalbipolardisorders.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40345-018-0135-7
• ▲6.  Munk-Olsen, T. et al., «Maternal and infant outcomes associated with lithium use in pregnancy:.» Lancet psychiatry. Vol. 5, no. 8, p. 644-652. (2018).   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6077091/pdf/nihms-977891.pdf
• ▲7.  Patorno, E. et al., «Lithium Use in Pregnancy and the Risk of Cardiac Malformations.» The new england journal of medecine. Vol. 376, no. 23, p. 2245-2254. (2017).   https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1612222
• ▲8.  Diav-Citrin, O. et al., «Pregnancy Outcome Following in Utero Exposure to Lithium: A Prospective, Comparative, Observational Study .» The american journal of psychiatry. Vol. 171, no. 7, p. 785-794. (2014).   https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.12111402?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed

The [number] refers to the Information SST database of the CNESST Documentation Center.