Diborane inhalation

SAFETY PROFILE Moderately toxic by inhalation. A severe eye, skin, and mucous membrane irritant. Explodes on contact with dioxygen difluoride. Violent reaction or ignition with borane, diborane, F2. hexafluoroisopropylideneamino lithium, O2. Win react with water or steam to produce toxic and corrosive fumes. Dangerous when heated to decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes of F" and PO. See also HYDROFLUORIC ACID, FLUORIDES, and PHOSPHORUS PENTAFLUORIDE. 

The gas is highly toxic by inhalation, and the nose cannot be depended upon to warn of unsafe concentrations (diborane temporarily deadens the olefactory senses). Although pure diborane is not spontaneously flammable in air at room temperature, it should always be assumed to contain decomposition products which can make it spontaneously flammable. 

Decaborane is a highly toxic compound by all routes of administration. Its toxicity is somewhat greater than that of diborane. The acute toxic symptoms in humans from inhalation of its vapors could be headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. In severe poisoning, muscle spasm and convulsion may occur. Symptoms of toxicity may appear 1 or 2 days after exposure, and the recovery is slow. An LC50 value for mice from a 40- hour exposure was 12 ppm. 

Toxicology Exposure is by inhalation. Diborane is an irritant (pulmonary system), and the threshold odour detection rotten eggs is 3.3 ppm. 

Fatal if inhaled 1 Danger <100 ppm (gas) <0.5 mg/L (vapor) <0.05 mg/L (dust, mist) Acrolein, arsine, chloromethyl methyl ether, diborane, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen fluoride, iodine, mercury, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, toluene diisocyanate... 

Diborane acts primarily as an irritant to the respiratory system. Inhalation causes a heat producing reaction with the moisture in the lungs. Boric acid is produced by hydrolysis [1]. An acute inhalation exposure may lead to respiratory distress-chest tightness, dyspnea, nonproductive cough, and wheezing. Subacute exposure to low concentrations of diborane is more likely to produce central nervous system symptoms such as light-headedness, headache, fatigue, and drowsiness [4]. 

Inhalation. If diborane is inhaled, remove the victim to fresh air. If the victim is not breathing, give artificial respiration, preferably mouth-to-mouth. If breathing is difficult, administer oxygen. 

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