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Name: Sodium methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
Synonyms: Sodium methylparaben
Chemical Formula: C8H7NaO3
CAS Number: 5026-62-0
Appearance: White to off-white crystalline powder
Odor: Almost odorless
Common Uses: Used often as a preservative in pharmaceutical and personal care products, it pops up in creams, lotions, and sometimes in food settings where extended shelf-life matters.
Hazard Class: Not classified as hazardous under normal use but mishandling invites risk
Main Health Risks: Exposure may irritate eyes, skin, or respiratory tract. Not expected to be acutely toxic in small quantities, but carelessness calls for trouble.
Chronic Risks: Those with allergies or chemical sensitivity might notice skin reactions. Dust form can trigger asthma or sneezing fits in anyone with sensitive lungs.
Signal Words: None officially required, but proper handling always makes sense.
Pictograms: Typically none, yet the best practice is treating it with respectful caution.
Main Ingredient: Sodium methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, over 98% purity for bulk raw use
Impurities: Trace levels of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and related esters showing up from synthesis byproducts
Formulation: Manufactured to be chemically consistent, but raw batches can vary with trace residues
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Persistent coughing calls for medical attention.
Skin Contact: Wash with soap and water; rash or redness that lingers warrants a doctor’s visit.
Eye Contact: Flush with water, keep eyelids open, seek help if stinging remains.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth, drink a small amount of water, medical help recommended if any symptoms—nausea or discomfort—show up soon after.
Emergency notes: Dust up your first aid kit and act quickly to prevent a minor issue from turning major.
Flammability: Not especially flammable but dust can catch in strong enough heat.
Extinguishing Methods: Use standard foam, dry chemical, or CO2, while water spray controls airborne dust.
Special Hazards: Fire can generate irritating smoke, including carbon oxides.
PPE for Firefighters: Pull out the gloves, goggles, and breathing gear—smoke isn’t something to mess with.
Precaution: Keep containers cool with water, don’t let residues build up in workspaces.
Personal Protection: Dust mask, goggles, and gloves needed before you go near anything.
Containment: Sweep up material quickly, but avoid stirring up dust or spreading it around.
Environmental Precautions: Product in bulk poses low risk to waterways but keep out of drains and soil all the same.
Cleanup Process: Wet wipe or mop floors after dry collection for the fine stuff—double-bag for disposal.
Handling Guidelines: Open containers in well-ventilated places. Even with no known major risk, avoid direct skin or eye contact.
Storage Requirements: Store in tightly sealed containers, away from heat sources and sunlight. Avoid damp locations to prevent clumping or breakdown.
Housekeeping: Clean spills promptly. Keep tools and containers dry and chemically compatible.
Best Practices: Rotate stocks, check for container integrity, and keep heavy bags below shoulder height.
Engineering Controls: Install local exhaust for large-scale processing—dust irritates fast, and workplace air quality matters for everyone.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Nitrile gloves, safety goggles, dust mask rated for fine particles. In bulk manufacturing, lab coats or disposable coveralls make cleanup easier.
Hygiene Practices: Wash up before breaks, after shift. Don’t eat, drink, or smoke around chemical handling zones.
Exposure Limit: No formal threshold set by OSHA or other US regulatory bodies, but the “better safe than sorry” rule applies; limit airborne dust as a basic work principle.
Appearance: White or off-white powder, finely milled for bulk processing
Boiling Point: Decomposes before boiling
Melting Point: Around 125 – 129°C
Solubility: Soluble in water and alcohol
pH (1% solution): Neutral to slightly alkaline, usually near 8
Odor: Faint, often negligible to most noses
Vapor Pressure: Negligible in normal conditions; unlikely to cause vapor buildup
Stability: Chemically stable under normal storage and use
Conditions to Avoid: Don’t expose to high heat, strong oxidizers, or strong acids as breakdown accelerates
Hazardous Decomposition Products: Burning forms irritating smoke, releases carbon oxides
Polymerization: Not expected—no worry here from a runaway reaction
Acute Toxicity: Low toxicity in standard use, though swallowing large amounts could bring on nausea, vomiting, or stomach discomfort
Skin Effects: Extended contact causes mild irritation or dermatitis in rare cases—most users don’t notice, but sensitive skin types see a rash
Eye Effects: Dust in the eye burns, waters, and causes redness until washed out
Chronic Exposure: Not linked to cancer or reproductive harm as far as published research shows
Special Risks: Compounds from the same family have come under scrutiny for weak estrogenic activity—scientific debate continues but regulatory agencies give sodium methylparaben a green light for use in daily products.
Ecotoxicity: Product in high concentrations can harm aquatic life, especially in small ponds or confined water systems—breaking down slowly in waterlogged soil
Persistence and Degradability: Tends to degrade biologically, but trace residues linger if dumped in bulk
Bioaccumulation: No sign of buildup in fish or food chains
Soil Mobility: Water-soluble, moves easily through runoff, best practice keeps it away from open drains
Impact Observed: Wastewater from factories should be treated, though traces from consumer rinsing usually don’t reach harmful levels.
Waste Disposal: Sweep up solid material for landfilling as non-hazardous waste if local rules allow; treating slurries as chemical waste cuts down on risk
Container Disposal: Rinse out empty packages, crush or destroy before recycling or trashing
Environmental Caution: Disposal to sewer or open ground is poor practice—landfill or incinerate according to local rules
UN Number: Not regulated for transport by road, rail, or sea
Hazard Label: None required
Packing Group: No specific group—routine handling gets the job done
Precautions During Shipping: Seal goods for transit in sturdy, leak-proof packaging, and keep dry to avoid messy spills out on the highway.
Global Inventory: Approved for use in cosmetics and food by regulatory agencies in Asia, Europe, and North America in low concentrations
SDS Requirements: Standard safety labeling appears on bulk shipments, and all major manufacturers keep up-to-date chemical safety files as required by law
Labeling: Commercial products listing the ingredient tend to spell it out on the “inactive” or “preservative” line, with maximum concentrations capped by industry guidelines
Workplace Regulations: No unique restrictions in most places, but employers keep basic chemical hygiene programs running to protect teams.
Consumer Guidance: A number of consumer safety groups track research, which means policy often evolves with new science—updates land on consumer product databases and government information sites.
