Substance profile
Metam-sodium
Metam-sodium is white crystals.
01 · Identification
What Metam-sodium is
Metam-sodium is white crystals. It boils at 110 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger.
02 · Identifiers
Metam-sodium identifiers and molecular data
Metam-sodium CAS number and EC number
Other names for Metam-sodium
- metam-sodium (ISO)
- sodium methyldithiocarbamate
03 · GHS classification
Metam-sodium hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Metam-sodium pictograms and signal word
Metam-sodium hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 4 | H302 | GHS07 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
| Skin sensitisation GHS chapter 3.4 | Category 1 or 1A or 1B | H317 | GHS07 |
| 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.
Metam-sodium hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H302 | Harmful if swallowed. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| H317 | May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
Metam-sodium supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH031 | Contact with acids liberates toxic gas. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Metam-sodium. 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 Metam-sodium
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 Metam-sodium 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
Metam-sodium precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 15 precautionary statements to Metam-sodium. 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
Metam-sodium 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 | метам-натрий (ISO) натриев метилдитиокарбамат |
| Spanish español | Metam-sodio (ISO) metilditiocarbamato de sodio |
| Czech čeština | metam-sodium (ISO) N -methyldithiokarbamát sodný |
| Danish dansk | metam-natrium (ISO) natrium- N- methyldithiocarbamat |
| German Deutsch | Metam-Natrium (ISO) Natriummethyldithiocarbamat |
| Estonian eesti | metaam-naatrium (ISO) naatriummetüülditiokarbamaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | metam-sodium (νατριούχος μετάμη) (ISO) μεθυλoδιθειoκαρβαμιδικό νάτριo |
| English English | metam-sodium (ISO) sodium methyldithiocarbamate |
| French français | métam-sodium (ISO) méthyldithiocarbamate de sodium |
| Croatian hrvatski | metam-natrij (ISO) natrijev metil-ditiokarbamat |
| Italian italiano | metam-sodio [ISO] N-metil-ditiocarbammato di sodio |
| Latvian latviešu | metamnātrijs (ISO) nātrija metilditiokarbamāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | metamnatris (ISO) natrio metilditiokarbamatas |
| Hungarian magyar | metám-nátrium (ISO) nátrium-metil-ditiokarbamát |
| Maltese Malti | metam-sodju (ISO) metilditijokarbamat tas-sodju |
| Dutch Nederlands | metam-natrium (ISO) natrium- N -methyldithiocarbamaat |
| Polish polski | metam sodowy (ISO) metyloditiokarbaminian sodu |
| Portuguese português | metame-sódio (ISO) metilditiocarbamato de sódio |
| Romanian română | metam-sodiu (ISO) metilditiocarbamat de sodiu |
| Slovak slovenčina | metám-nátrium (ISO) nátrium-metylditiokarbamát |
| Slovenian slovenščina | metam-natrij (ISO) natrijev metilditiokarbamat |
| Finnish suomi | metaaminatrium (ISO) metaami-Nanatriummetyyliditiokarbamaatti |
| Swedish svenska | metamnatrium (ISO) natriummetylditiokarbamat |
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
Metam-sodium GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Metam-sodium, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Metam-sodium
- Harmful if swallowed.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Contact with acids liberates toxic gas.
- 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:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Call a POISON CENTER/doctor/… if you feel unwell.
- Get medical advice/attention.
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- 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 Metam-sodium in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Metam-sodium health hazards and exposure limits
Metam-sodium hazard summary
Allergic contact dermatitis reported in farmworkers; [Kanerva, p. 1834] Slowly reacts with water forming flammable and toxic decomposition products (carbon disulfide, monomethylamine, methylisothiocyanate, and hydrogen sulfide); A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [CAMEO] A skin, eye, and mucous membrane irritant; May cause skin sensitization; Formation of methylisothiocyanate in water or from skin moisture may also illicit an allergic response; May be fatal by skin absorption; Emergency treatment: Carbamate herbicides and fungicides; [HSDB] Rapidly degraded in the environment forming methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), which is the primary volatile active fumigant; Metabolites include MITC and carbon disulfide; [Reference #2] Causes zonal hepatitis in oral studies of rats and mice; [RTECS] Causes burns; Inhalation may cause corrosive injuries to upper respiratory tract and lungs; May cause skin sensitization; Toxic by ingestion and skin absorption; [Aldrich MSDS] See Methyl isothiocyanate.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Metam-sodium carcinogenicity classification
Cancer Classification: Group B2 Probable Human Carcinogen
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.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Metam-sodium 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.
Metam-sodium boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 110 °C (230 °F) | Commercial product | HSDB |
Metam-sodium melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | Decomposes without melting | decomposes | HSDB |
Metam-sodium solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | In acetone, ethanol, kerosene, xylene < 5 g/L. Practically insoluble in most other organic solvents. | HSDB | |
| In water, 7.22X10+5 mg/L at 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB | |
| Moderately soluble in alcohol; stable in concentrated aqueous solution but decomposes in dilute aqueous solutions | decomposes | HSDB |
Metam-sodium vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | Non-volatile | HSDB |
Metam-sodium lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Non flammable. | Metham Sodium Dihydrate | HSDB |
Metam-sodium corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION IS CORROSIVE TO BRASS, COPPER AND ZINC | HSDB | |
| Aluminum, very rapid corrosion; mild steel, 0.7 mg/day/sq m; stainless steel, <0.2 mg/day/sq m | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Metam-sodium storage and handling
Metam-sodium storage conditions
Store in a cool, dry place. Keep container closed when not in use. Do not store below 32 dg F. Product crystalizes at lower tempratures. Warm or store at higher tempratures and mix to redissolve crystals and assure uniformity before use. /Vapam/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Metam-sodium in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Questions
Metam-sodium — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Metam-sodium?
The CAS number of Metam-sodium is 137-42-8. Its EC number is 205-293-0.
What does a Metam-sodium label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Metam-sodium carries the pictograms Corrosion, Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Metam-sodium flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Metam-sodium 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 Metam-sodium a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Metam-sodium. 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.
What is the boiling point of Metam-sodium?
The boiling point reported for Metam-sodium is 110 °C (230 °F), Commercial product (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Metam-sodium?
The melting point reported for Metam-sodium is Decomposes without melting, decomposes (HSDB).
How should Metam-sodium be stored?
Store in a cool, dry place. Keep container closed when not in use. Do not store below 32 dg F. Product crystalizes at lower tempratures. Warm or store at higher tempratures and mix to redissolve crystals and assure uniformity before use. /Vapam/ (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Metam-sodium
Keep going: substances starting with M, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.