Key Points

 

Fire

• Flammable
• Violently reacts with strong oxidants, acids and nitrogen oxides
• Emits toxic fumes of  nitrogen oxides when heated to decomposition
• In the event of a fire involving nitrobenzene, use fine water and liquid tight chemical protective clothing with breathing apparatus

 

Health

• Toxic by inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption
• Possibly carcinogenic in humans
• May cause reproductive toxicity
• The onset of symptoms may be delayed 1-4 hours after exposure to nitrobenzene
• Inhalation can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, nausea, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath and in extreme cases could lead to coma and death
• Ingestion of nitrobenzene may cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as symptoms similar to those for inhalation
• Inhalation and ingestion may also cause vertigo and bluish colouration of the skin due to a condition called methaemoglobinaemia, with drowsiness, high blood pressure, convulsions, anaemia, jaundice and kidney failure
• Skin contact with nitrobenzene may result in mild skin irritation and eye contact may lead to mild eye irritation

 

Environment

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

 

All sections are available to download in PDF format below:

• Nitrobenzene - Full Document (PDF, 155 KB) 
• General Information (PDF, 50 KB)
• Incident Management (PDF, 79 KB) 
• Toxicological Overview (PDF, 43 KB)