Key Points

Fire

• Non flammable
• Reacts with dimethyl sulphoxide, ethylene oxide and strong oxidisers. Reacts with aluminium, magnesium and zinc causing fire and explosion hazard
• Emits toxic fumes of hydrogen bromide, bromine, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide when heated to decomposition
• In the event of a fire involving methyl bromide, use fine water spray and liquid tight chemical protective clothing with breathing apparatus

Health

• Toxic via inhalation
• CHIP classification: toxic, harmful, irritant and possible mutagen
• Inhalation can cause stomach pain, headache, confusion, memory loss, dizziness, drowsiness, painful eyes and blurred or double vision
• In severe cases inhalation may cause liver and kidney damage, heart problems, fitting and coma 
• Skin contact causes redness and a feeling of pins and needles. In severe cases blisters and burns can occur
• Eye contact can cause severe irritation and burns
• Long term inhalation can cause depression and visual problems 

Environment

• Dangerous for the environment
• Inform the Environment Agency of substantial releases

 

All sections of the compendia are available to download:

• Methyl Bromide General Information (PDF, 37 KB)
• Incident Management (PDF, 85 KB)