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Chemical Name: Methyl Salicylate
Common Names: Oil of Wintergreen, Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate
Appearance: Clear, colorless to pale yellow liquid
Odor: Sweet, minty, intense aroma typical of “wintergreen”
CAS Number: 119-36-8
GHS Classification: Harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin
Health Hazards: Toxicity comes in through both skin and inhalation, which often goes unrecognized due to its appealing scent and common use in topical products.
Warning Symbols: Exclamation Mark (Irritant), Health Hazard (Toxic)
Primary Risks: Overexposure leads to symptoms such as headache, tinnitus, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and even respiratory distress. Children are at heightened risk due to smaller body mass compared to exposure levels.
Chronic Exposure: Extended use or repeated handling can cause systemic poisoning, often mistaken for illness due to vague symptoms.
Active Ingredient: Methyl Salicylate (typically 98-100%)
Impurities: Trace organic compounds from processing or botanical sources
Mixtures: Rarely present in technical grade unless diluted in consumer products or topical analgesics. Purity has a direct effect on toxicity, which needs to be respected in all handling stages.
Inhalation: Move affected individual into fresh air quickly. Coughing, dizziness, or nausea can happen, requiring medical evaluation if symptoms persist or worsen.
Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing promptly, flush area with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, and seek medical attention if skin irritation or systemic effects appear.
Eye Contact: Rinse immediately with copious amounts of water. Keep eyelid open, and look for ongoing discomfort or vision change. Medical follow-up helps minimize injury.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting due to the risk of aspiration. Seek immediate emergency care, as methyl salicylate can be fatal in small doses, especially for children.
Flammability: Combustible liquid, especially at elevated temperatures.
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Use alcohol-resistant foam, carbon dioxide, or dry chemical extinguishers to tackle involved fires.
Fire Hazards: Burns release irritating or toxic fumes like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and thick, acrid smoke.
Protection for Firefighters: Firefighting gear, including positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus, prevents inhaling decomposition products.
Flash Point: Roughly 96°C (205°F), which is lower than many expect for an oily, minty extract.
Personal Precautions: Use gloves, goggles, and chemical-resistant clothing because the liquid can be absorbed through skin or mucous membranes. Even small spills need prompt cleanup to avoid slips and exposure.
Spill Cleanup: Soak up liquid using inert, non-combustible absorbents like sand or vermiculite. Double-bag contaminated cleanup materials to avoid secondary contamination.
Ventilation: Put spill area under strong ventilation to keep fumes at a minimum, preventing headaches and other acute symptoms.
Disposal: Avoid washing spills down drains, since methyl salicylate runs right through municipal water treatment and into the environment.
Handling Practices: Direct contact with skin or mucous membranes puts handlers at risk. Gloves, goggles, and long sleeves help, but keeping containers closed except when dispensing reduces fume exposure.
Safe Storage: Store away from heat and open flames since vapors ignite unexpectedly in tight spaces. Use metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids and make sure labeling stays readable and intact.
Incompatible Substances: Bases, oxidizing agents, and strong acids destabilize the compound, sometimes causing violent reactions or rapid decomposition.
Childproofing: Lock away from children or pets, who are sensitive to small amounts.
Permissible Exposure Limit: No established OSHA or ACGIH PEL, but best practice keeps airborne concentrations as low as possible.
Engineering Controls: Local exhaust and general room ventilation both help keep fumes from building up.
Personal Protection: Chemical-resistant gloves and goggles should be standard, with a lab coat or apron for larger jobs.
Respiratory Protection: Air-purifying respirators step in for high-concentration or spill events where ventilation comes up short.
Physical State: Liquid at room temperature
Odor Threshold: 0.085 ppm, meaning even trace amounts trigger a distinct wintergreen smell
Melting Point: -8°C (18°F)
Boiling Point: 223°C (433°F)
Vapor Pressure: Low, around 1 mm Hg at 54°C
Density: About 1.174 g/cm³
Solubility: Partial in water, fully miscible with ethanol and organic solvents
pH: Slightly acidic due to the phenolic group
Viscosity: Slick, oily feel is unmistakable and lingers long after brief handling
Chemical Stability: Stable under standard temperatures and handling, but decomposes with strong acid, base, or oxidizer contact.
Decomposition Products: Burning or high-heat decomposition releases irritating fumes, mostly carbon oxides.
Hazardous Polymerization: Polymerizes only under severe stress from heat or incompatible chemicals, not during routine storage.
Condition to Avoid: Uncontrolled heating, mixing with alkali metals, or exposing bottles to sunlight for prolonged periods
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation, skin, ingestion
Acute Toxicity: Lethal dose in children as low as 4-10 mL; adults face danger above 30 mL. Absorption symptoms match classic salicylate poisoning: ringing in the ears, confusion, fast breathing.
Chronic Effects: Even brief but repeated use, such as in chronic pain rubs, piles up risk quickly for sensitive populations.
Carcinogenicity: There’s no solid proof methyl salicylate causes cancer, but inappropriate use may damage internal organs over time.
Sensitization: Skin contact triggers allergic reactions for some, turning simple redness into blisters that last several days.
Persistence: Readily biodegradable under most conditions, though evaporation happens faster than breakdown in open environments
Aquatic Toxicity: Harmful to aquatic life in concentrated amounts—streams, ponds, and even wastewater see impacts from improper disposal.
Bioaccumulation: Low; methyl salicylate doesn’t build up in wildlife over time, but brief pulses from spills can knock delicate ecosystems out of balance.
Environmental Mobility: Moves through soil and water rapidly if released, risking groundwater contamination especially where waste management standards drop.
Waste Handling: Treat as hazardous organic waste. Bulk leftovers, spill materials, or even used personal protective equipment need incineration at approved facilities.
Consumer Disposal: Pouring perfumed oils, muscle rubs, or leftover lab samples into household drains shifts the environmental burden downstream, where treatment plants can’t always keep up.
Packaging Disposal: Containers need triple rinsing before recycling or incineration; leftover residues keep posing risks even after apparent emptiness.
UN Number: Classified as hazardous for transport over both road and rail, though small consumer sizes may fall under limited quantity exemptions depending on jurisdiction
Hazard Class: Flammable liquid—bulk quantities flag risks for industrial distribution, meaning heavy packaging and rigorous documentation.
Proper Shipping Name: Methyl Salicylate
Special Precautions: Leaks go undetected during shipment due to the pleasant scent, but pooled product at the receiving dock poses slip and fume hazards with no visual warning.
OSHA and Workplace Rules: Not specifically regulated in the United States as a standalone substance, but general chemical and toxic substance protocols apply.
Labeling: Global Harmonized System pictograms and hazard phrases support worker right-to-know laws across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Consumer Product Limits: Some nations cap methyl salicylate in skin products and foods to keep ingestion risks minimal. Special packages or bittering agents show up in child-facing brands.
Chemical Inventories: Listed on TSCA (US), EINECS (Europe), AICS (Australia) and similar lists, confirming years of accumulated studies and regulatory commitments worldwide.
