Substances harmful to health
With the indication of danger harmful substances are substances in the acute or if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin in humans can cause chronic health. The "n" in the abbreviation Xn comes from noxious "harmful".
The above definition comes from EU legislation on hazardous substances; originated in RL 67/548 / EEC and currently valid according to CLP . All information in this article relates only to this. If the term "harmful to health" is used in the GHS and possibly also in the dangerous goods law, the same definition does not necessarily apply there and the symbols used for it do not have exactly the same meaning. So if the above hazard symbol appears in the labeling of a substance, the analogous symbol does not necessarily have to appear in the labeling according to GHS.
In the past, the hazard designation " less toxic" was used for Xn , but this was changed because this term played down the hazard.
Examples of harmful substances are potassium chlorate , acetaldehyde (ethanal), dichloromethane . A full list is in the category: Harmful Substance . Increases are the hazard designations toxic and very toxic with the skull symbol .
This danger symbol is also mandatory when
- there is a suspicion of a carcinogenic effect
- possibly affecting fertility,
- possibly harming the child in the womb,
even if these substances do not meet the characteristics otherwise applicable for classification as hazardous to health .
See also
- Hazardous substance
- Danger symbol
- Directive 67/548 / EEC
- toxic substances
- Corrosive substances
- irritating substances
Legislation
- Germany: Ordinance on Hazardous Substances
- EU: Directive 67/548 / EEC
- GHS (Globally Harmonized System) - The new classification and labeling of chemicals in the EU. Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, archived from the original on July 12, 2010 ; accessed on June 4, 2010 (with link to the full text as PDF 654 kB; replaces the existing EU regulations 67/548 / EEC from 2010).