Substance profile
Disulfiram
Disulfiram is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a slight odor.
01 · Identification
What Disulfiram is
Disulfiram is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a slight odor. Its molecular formula is C10H20N2S4 and its molecular weight is 296.5 g/mol. It boils at 117 °C, melts at 71.5 °C, is soluble in water.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning.
02 · Identifiers
Disulfiram identifiers and molecular data
Disulfiram CAS number and EC number
Disulfiram molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Disulfiram
- tetraethylthiuramdisulfide
03 · GHS classification
Disulfiram hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Disulfiram pictograms and signal word
Disulfiram hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Skin sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H317 | GHS07 |
| Specific target organ toxicity - repeated exposure GHS chapter 3.9 | Category 2 | H373 | GHS08 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H400 | GHS09 |
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 | Category 1 | H410 | GHS09 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Disulfiram hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H373 | May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Disulfiram. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Disulfiram
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Disulfiram issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
04 · Precautionary statements
Disulfiram precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 14 precautionary statements to Disulfiram. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Disposal
What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Disulfiram name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | дисулфирам тетраетилтиурамдисулфид |
| Spanish español | Disulfiram disulfuro de tetraetiltiuram |
| Czech čeština | disulfiram tetraethylthiuramdisulfid |
| Danish dansk | disulfiram tetraethylthiuramdisulfid |
| German Deutsch | Disulfiram Tetraethylthiuramdisulfid |
| Estonian eesti | disulfiraam tetraetüültiuraamdisulfiid |
| Greek ελληνικά | δισουλφιράμη διθειούχος τετραιθυλοθειουράμη |
| English English | disulfiram tetraethylthiuramdisulfide |
| French français | disulfirame disulfure de tétraéthylthiurame |
| Croatian hrvatski | disulfiram tetraetil-tiuramdisulfid |
| Italian italiano | disulfiram tetraetiltiuramdisolfuro |
| Latvian latviešu | disulfirāms tetraetiltiurāmdisulfīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | disulfiramas tetraetiltiuramdisulfidas |
| Hungarian magyar | diszulfiram tetraetiltiuram-diszulfid |
| Maltese Malti | disulfiram disulfur tat-tetraetiltjuram |
| Dutch Nederlands | disulfiram tetraëthylthiuramdisulfide |
| Polish polski | disulfiram disulfid tetraetylotiuramu |
| Portuguese português | dissulfirame dissulfureto de tetraetiltiurame |
| Romanian română | disulfiram disulfură de tetraetiltiuram |
| Slovak slovenčina | disulfirám tetraetyldisulfánbis(karbotioamid) |
| Slovenian slovenščina | disulfiram tetraetiltiuram disulfid |
| Finnish suomi | disulfiraami tetraetyylitiuraamidisulfidi |
| Swedish svenska | disulfiram tetraetyltiuramdisulfid |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Disulfiram GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Disulfiram, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Disulfiram
- Harmful if swallowed.
- May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
- May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Get medical advice/attention if you feel unwell.
- Rinse mouth.
- If skin irritation or rash occurs:
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Disulfiram in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Disulfiram health hazards and exposure limits
Disulfiram hazard summary
Disulfiram is tested in the standard allergen tray as one of the components of the thiuram mix (tetraethylthiuram disulfide); Thiuram-sensitive patients who take Antabuse may develop a generalized contact dermatitis or localized hand and foot dermatitis. [Marks, p. 132] A nurse dispensing disulfiram developed contact dermatitis; [Kanerva, p. 1837] Drug-induced hepatitis has been rarely reported in patients taking therapeutic doses of Antabuse. [HSDB] Poisoning by ingestion (with alcohol): headache, flushing, hypotension, sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; Poisoning by ingestion (acute overdose): delirium, agitation, CNS depression; Poisoning by ingestion (chronic overdose): encephalopathy and neuropathy; [Ford, p. 591-4]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Disulfiram carcinogenicity classification
Studied by the US National Toxicology Program: TR-166: Bioassay of Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide for Possible Carcinogenicity (CASRN 97-77-8) (1979 )
No data are available in humans. Inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in animals. OVERALL EVALUATION: Group 3: The agent is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.
Disulfiram occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 2 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 2 mg/m3 [Precautions should be taken to avoid concurrent exposure to ethylene dibromide.] | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | N.D. | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Disulfiram properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Disulfiram boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 117.22 °C (243 °F) | OSHA | |
| 117 °C (242.6 °F) | at 760 mmHg | DOE PAC | |
| 117 °C (242.6 °F) | at 17 mmHg (reduced pressure) | HSDB |
Disulfiram melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 71.5 °C (160.7 °F) | HSDB | |
| 70 °C (158 °F) | NIOSH |
Disulfiram density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 1.27 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Disulfiram solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Sol in alc (3.82 g/100 ml), ether (7.14 g/100 ml), acetone, benzene, chloroform, carbon disulfide | HSDB | |
| Soluble in aromatic | HSDB | ||
| In water, 4.09 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Disulfiram vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0 mmHg | OSHA | |
| 0 mmHg | at 20 °C | CAMEO | |
| 0.00087 mmHg | Haz-Map |
Disulfiram lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Noncombustible Solid | NIOSH |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Disulfiram fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Disulfiram fire potential
Combustible.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Disulfiram storage and handling
Disulfiram safe storage
Separated from strong oxidants.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Disulfiram storage conditions
Commercially available disulfiram tablets should be protected from light and stored in tight, light-resistant containers at a temperature less than 40 °C preferably between 15-30 °C. Oral suspensions of disulfiram have been prepared extemporaneously from commercially available tablets of the drug. A suspension of 1% disulfiram, 1/4% methylcellulose, and 10% Tang /breakfast drink/ in distilled water has been reported to be stable for up to 6 months if refrigerated at 2-8 °C and protected from light.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Disulfiram incompatible materials
The substance decomposes on burning producing toxic and corrosive fumes including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides. Reacts violently with strong oxidants. Attacks copper.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Disulfiram reactivity
TETRAETHYLTHIURAM DISULFIDE is sensitive to light. This compound is incompatible with strong acids, strong oxidizers and nitrosating agents (e.g. N-Nitrosodiphenylamine). (NTP, 1992).
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Disulfiram in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Questions
Disulfiram — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Disulfiram?
The CAS number of Disulfiram is 97-77-8. Its EC number is 202-607-8.
What is the chemical formula of Disulfiram?
The molecular formula of Disulfiram is C10H20N2S4 and its molecular weight is 296.5 g/mol.
What does a Disulfiram label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Disulfiram carries the pictograms Health hazard, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Warning.
Is Disulfiram flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Disulfiram no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.
Is Disulfiram a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Disulfiram. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health. IARC places it in Group 3: not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.
What is the exposure limit for Disulfiram?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Disulfiram is none See Appendix G (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of Disulfiram?
The boiling point reported for Disulfiram is 117.22 °C (243 °F) (OSHA).
What is the melting point of Disulfiram?
The melting point reported for Disulfiram is 71.5 °C (160.7 °F) (HSDB).
How should Disulfiram be stored?
Commercially available disulfiram tablets should be protected from light and stored in tight, light-resistant containers at a temperature less than 40 °C preferably between 15-30 °C. Oral suspensions of disulfiram have been prepared extemporaneously from commercially available tablets of the drug. A suspension of 1% disulfiram, 1/4% methylcellulose, and 10% Tang /breakfast drink/ in distilled water has been reported to be stable for up to 6 months if refrigerated at 2-8 °C and protected from light. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Disulfiram
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