Sodium hydrogen sulfide
Agent Name
Sodium hydrogen sulfide
Alternative Name
Sodium bisulfide
CAS Number
16721-80-5
Formula
H-Na-S
Major Category
Other Classes
Synonyms
Sodium bisulfide; Hidrosulfuro sodics [Spanish]; Hydrogen sodium sulfide; Hydrogenosulfure de sodium [French]; Sodium hydrosulfide; Sodium mercaptan; Sodium mercaptide; Sodium sulfhydrate; Sodium sulfide; Sodium hydrogensulphide; Sodium hydrosulfide solution; Sodium hydrosulfide solution (45% or less); Sodium hydrosulfide, solution; Sodium hydrosulfide, with <25% water of crystallization; Sodium hydrosulfide, with not <25% water of crystallization; [ChemIDplus] UN2949; UN2318 (less than 25% water of crystallization)
Category
Sulfur Compounds
Description
White to colorless crystals with an odor of hydrogen sulfide; [NIOSH] Highly hygroscopic; [Merck Index] Solution is light yellow to red with an odor of rotten eggs; [CHRIS] White or yellow crystalline solid with an odor of rotten eggs; [Alfa Aesar MSDS]
Sources/Uses
Used to dehair hides and to produce heavy water, paper, rayon, dyes, and other chemical products; [HSDB] Also used in paints, lacquers, varnishes, textiles, effluent treatment, water purification, and cosmetics; Also used as a corrosion inhibitor and coloring, complexing, and reducing agent; Used as a flotation agent in ore processing; [IUCLID]
Comments
Corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] High inhalation exposure can induce pulmonary edema; Concentration of 600 ppm is lethal in 30 minutes; 800 ppm is lethal immediately; [HSDB] Evolves hydrogen sulfide gas on contact with water; Corrosive to skin, eyes, and respiratory tract; [CAMEO] Rapidly hydrolyzed in moist air forming sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide; The product of commerce is usually the dihydrate; [Merck Index] Corrosive to skin, eyes, and respiratory tract; Inhalation may cause pulmonary edema; [ICSC] Short-term exposure causes severe skin irritation and possibly second-degree burns; Liquid can cause marked eye irritation, lachrymation, and corneal injury; [CHRIS] See "Hydrogen sulfide."
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
Vapor Pressure
49 mm Hg
Odor Threshold Low
0.0047 ppm
Explanatory Notes
Odor threshold from CHRIS; The Guide in the Emergency Response Guidebook is for "Sodium hydrosulfide, with not less than 25% water of crystallization."
Adverse Effects
Lachrymator
Yes
Toxic Pneumonitis
Yes
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns
Other Poison
Chemical Asphyxiant
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Processes