Chloramphenicol SDS/MSDS (Safety Data Sheet)

3.1 Substances
Product name: Chloramphenicol
CAS Number: 56-75-7
PubChem CID: 5959
Molecular formula: C11H12Cl2N2O5
Molecular weight: 323.13 g/mol
IUPAC name: 2,2-dichloro-N-[(1R,2R)-1,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)propan-2-yl]acetamide

3.2 Mixtures
Not applicable (pure substance).

4.1 Description of first aid measures
Inhalation: Move to fresh air. Keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
Skin contact: Wash with plenty of soap and water. Remove contaminated clothing. Seek medical attention if irritation develops.
Eye contact: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. Seek medical attention.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting unless directed by medical personnel. Seek medical attention.

4.2 Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed
See Section 11 (Toxicological Information).

4.3 Indication of any immediate medical attention and special treatment needed
Treat symptomatically. Contact a poison control center or physician for severe exposure.

5.1 Extinguishing media
Suitable: Water spray, dry chemical, carbon dioxide (CO2), alcohol-resistant foam.
Unsuitable: None known.

5.2 Specific hazards arising from the substance or mixture
Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.
Advice for firefighters: Wear self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighting if necessary.
Use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, water spray, or foam extinguishers. ... If material or contaminated runoff enters waterways, notify downstream users of potentially contaminated waters. Notify local health and fire officials and pollution control agencies. From a secure, explosion-proof location, use water spray to cool exposed containers. If cooling streams are ineffective (venting sound increases in volume and pitch, tank discolors, or shows any signs of deforming), withdraw immediately to a secure position. ... The only respirators recommended for firefighting are self-contained breathing apparatuses that have full face-pieces and are operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode.

5.3 Advice for firefighters
Wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and full protective clothing.
Fight fire from upwind. Cool containers with water spray until fire is extinguished.

6.1 Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (see Section 8).
Avoid breathing dust/vapor. Ensure adequate ventilation.
Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Keep people away from and upwind of spill.

6.2 Environmental precautions
Prevent product from entering drains, waterways, or soil.
Contain spill with inert absorbent material.

6.3 Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up
ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Avoid breathing dust. Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Pick up and arrange disposal without creating dust. Sweep up and shovel. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.
Evacuate persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill or leak until cleanup is complete. Remove all ignition sources. Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. Ventilate area after cleanup is complete. It may be necessary to contain and dispose of this chemical as a hazardous waste. If material or contaminated runoff enters waterways, notify downstream users of potentially contaminated waters.
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": A high-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) or charcoal filters can be used to minimize amt of carcinogen in exhausted air ventilated safety cabinets, lab hoods, glove boxes or animal rooms ... Filter housing that is designed so that used filters can be transferred into plastic bag without contaminating maintenance staff is avail commercially. Filters should be placed in plastic bags immediately after removal ... The plastic bag should be sealed immediately ... The sealed bag should be labelled properly ... Waste liquids ... should be placed or collected in proper containers for disposal. The lid should be secured & the bottles properly labelled. Once filled, bottles should be placed in plastic bag, so that outer surface ... is not contaminated ... The plastic bag should also be sealed & labelled. ... Broken glassware ... should be decontaminated by solvent extraction, by chemical destruction, or in specially designed incinerators. /Chemical Carcinogens/
SRP: Expired or waste pharmaceuticals shall carefully take into consideration applicable DEA, EPA, and FDA regulations. It is not appropriate to dispose by flushing the pharmaceutical down the toilet or discarding to trash. If possible return the pharmaceutical to the manufacturer for proper disposal being careful to properly label and securely package the material. Alternatively, the waste pharmaceutical shall be labeled, securely packaged and transported by a state licensed medical waste contractor to dispose by burial in a licensed hazardous or toxic waste landfill or incinerator.
SRP: Wastewater from contaminant suppression, cleaning of protective clothing/equipment, or contaminated sites should be contained and evaluated for subject chemical or decomposition product concentrations. Concentrations shall be lower than applicable environmental discharge or disposal criteria. Alternatively, pretreatment and/or discharge to a permitted wastewater treatment facility is acceptable only after review by the governing authority and assurance that "pass through" violations will not occur. Due consideration shall be given to remediation worker exposure (inhalation, dermal and ingestion) as well as fate during treatment, transfer and disposal. If it is not practicable to manage the chemical in this fashion, it must be evaluated in accordance with EPA 40 CFR Part 261, specifically Subpart B, in order to determine the appropriate local, state and federal requirements for disposal.
Product: Contact a licensed professional waste disposal service to dispose of this material. Dissolve or mix the material with a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incinerator equipped with an afterburner and scrubber. Offer surplus and non-recyclable solutions to a licensed disposal company; Contaminated packaging: Dispose of as unused product.
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": There is no universal method of disposal that has been proved satisfactory for all carcinogenic compounds & specific methods of chem destruction ... published have not been tested on all kinds of carcinogen-containing waste. ... summary of avail methods & recommendations ... /given/ must be treated as guide only. /Chemical Carcinogens/
For more Disposal Methods (Complete) data for Chloramphenicol (8 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Evacuate personnel to safe areas. Avoid breathing dust. Environmental precautions: Prevent further leakage or spillage if safe to do so. Do not let product enter drains.
Precautions for safe handling: Avoid formation of dust and aerosols. Further processing of solid materials may result in the formation of combustible dusts. The potential for combustible dust formation should be taken into consideration before additional processing occurs. Provide appropriate exhaust ventilation at places where dust is formed.
Appropriate engineering controls: Handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practice. Wash hands before breaks and at the end of workday.
Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands.
For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for Chloramphenicol (16 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

7.1 Precautions for safe handling
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Store at 20 deg to 25 °C (68 deg to 77 °F). /Chloramphenicol sodium succinate/
Store at or below 25 °C (77 °F) in a dry place.
Chloramphenicol sodium succinate sterile powder for injection should be stored at 15-25 °C. /Chloramphenicol sodium succinate/
For more Storage Conditions (Complete) data for Chloramphenicol (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

7.2 Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Store at 20 deg to 25 °C (68 deg to 77 °F). /Chloramphenicol sodium succinate/
Store at or below 25 °C (77 °F) in a dry place.
Chloramphenicol sodium succinate sterile powder for injection should be stored at 15-25 °C. /Chloramphenicol sodium succinate/
For more Storage Conditions (Complete) data for Chloramphenicol (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
Store away from incompatible materials (see Section 10).
[Note: Specific storage temperature not available in public databases. Refer to supplier Certificate of Analysis (COA) for exact storage conditions.]

9.1 Information on basic physical and chemical properties
a) Appearance: Needles or elongated plates from water or ethylene dichloride; [HSDB]
b) Odor: No data available
c) Odor threshold: No data available
d) pH: Neutral to litmus
e) Melting point/freezing point: 150.5-151.5 °C
f) Initial boiling point and boiling range: Sublimes in high vacuum
g) Flash point: No data available
h) Evaporation rate: No data available
i) Flammability (solid, gas): No data available
j) Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits: No data available
k) Vapor pressure: No data available
l) Vapor density: No data available
m) Relative density: No data available
n) Water solubility: In water, 2.5 mg/mL at 25 °C
o) Partition coefficient: n-octanol/water: Log P (n-octanol/water): 1.1
p) Auto-ignition temperature: No data available
q) Decomposition temperature: No data available
r) Viscosity: No data available
s) Explosive properties: No data available
t) Oxidizing properties: No data available

9.2 Other information
Topological Polar Surface Area (TPSA): 115 Ų
Complexity: 342

11.1 Information on toxicological effects
Acute toxicity:
No acute toxicity data available.
Skin corrosion/irritation:
No data available.
Serious eye damage/eye irritation:
Causes serious eye damage (H318).
Respiratory or skin sensitization:
May cause an allergic skin reaction (H317).
Germ cell mutagenicity:
May cause genetic defects (H340).
Carcinogenicity:
May cause cancer (H350).
Reproductive toxicity:
May damage fertility or the unborn child (H360).
Specific target organ toxicity (single exposure):
H372, H373
Specific target organ toxicity (repeated exposure):
No data available.
Aspiration hazard:
No data available.

11.2 Additional information
Carcinogen classification:
Chloramphenicol
Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans
Volume Sup 7: Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, 1987; 440 pages; ISBN 92-832-1411-0 (out of print)
Volume 50: (1990) Pharmaceutical Drugs
1990
1989
NB Overall evaluation upgraded to Group 2A with supporting evidence from other relevant data
2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. (L135)
Exposure routes:
Rapidly and completely absorbed from gastrointestinal tract following oral administration (bioavailability 80%). Well absorbed following intramuscular administration (bioavailability 70%). Intraocular and some systemic absorption also occurs after topical application to the eye.
Signs and symptoms of exposure:
Toxic reactions including fatalities have occurred in the premature and newborn; the signs and symptoms associated with these reactions have been referred to as the gray syndrome. Symptoms include (in order of appearance) abdominal distension with or without emesis, progressive pallid cyanosis, vasomotor collapse frequently accompanied by irregular respiration, and death within a few hours of onset of these symptoms.
Data source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) via PubChem.

12.1 Toxicity
EC50; Species: Desmodesmus subspicatus (Green Algae) 86.71 SAG, 10+4 algae/mL; Conditions: freshwater, static, 23 °C; Concentration: 780 ug/L for 72 hr (95% confidence interval: 210-2930 ug/L); Effect: decreased population growth rate /formulation/
EC50; Species: Desmodesmus subspicatus (Green Algae) 86.71 SAG, 10+4 algae/mL; Conditions: freshwater, static, 23 °C; Concentration: 200 ug/L for 72 hr (95% confidence interval: 150-240 ug/L); Effect: decreased population biomass /formulation/
EC50; Species: Desmodesmus subspicatus (Green Algae) 86.71 SAG, 10+4 algae/mL; Conditions: freshwater, static, 23 °C; Concentration: 130 ug/L for 72 hr (95% confidence interval: 6-240 ug/L); Effect: decreased population, general /formulation/
LC50; Species: Artemia franciscana (San Francisco Brine Shrimp) age ~48 hr nauplii; Conditions: saltwater, static, 25 °C; Concentration: 0.00197 M for 48 hr /formulation/
For more Ecotoxicity Values (Complete) data for Chloramphenicol (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
/AQUATIC SPECIES/ This study investigated the growth inhibition effects of three phenicol antibiotics on microalgae used in aquaculture. Different dose levels of chloramphenicol (CAP), florfenicol (FF), and thiamphenicol (TAP) were added to cultures of one freshwater green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and two marine algae, Isochrysis galbana and Tetraselmis chui. For the two marine algae, FF showed higher toxicity levels (EC50, 1.3-8 mg/L) than CAP (4-41 mg/L) and TAP (38-158 mg

12.2 Persistence and degradability
No data available.

12.3 Bioaccumulative potential
Log P (n-octanol/water): 1.1
Low potential for bioaccumulation (Log P < 3).

12.4 Mobility in soil
No data available.

12.5 Results of PBT and vPvB assessment
PBT/vPvB assessment not available.

12.6 Other adverse effects
This substance is classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment.

13.1 Waste treatment methods
Waste Treatment Methods: Waste material must be disposed of in accordance with national and local regulations. Leave chemicals in original containers and do not mix with other waste. Handle uncleaned containers in the same manner as the product itself.

14.1 UN number
Not regulated as dangerous goods (research quantities typically exempt).

14.2 UN proper shipping name
Not subject to transport regulations (small quantities for research use).

14.3 Transport hazard class(es)
Not classified as dangerous goods for transport (research quantities).

14.4 Packing group
Not applicable (not regulated as dangerous goods in typical research quantities).

14.5 Environmental hazards
Marine pollutant: Yes (classified as environmentally hazardous per GHS).

14.6 Special precautions for user
Transport in original packaging. Ensure containers are tightly sealed.
For bulk or commercial quantities, consult applicable transport regulations (DOT, IATA, IMDG).

14.7 Transport in bulk according to Annex II of MARPOL 73/78 and the IBC Code
Not applicable.

15.1 Safety, health and environmental regulations/legislation specific for the substance or mixture
US EPA / TSCA: Subject to EPA TSCA regulations
EU ECHA / REACH: Registered (REACH Active)

SARA 302 Components:
No chemicals in this material are subject to the reporting requirements of SARA Title III, Section 302.
SARA 313 Components:
This material does not contain any chemical components with known CAS numbers that exceed the threshold (De Minimis) reporting levels established by SARA Title III, Section 313.
SARA 311/312 Hazards:
Acute (short-term) health hazard
Chronic (long-term) health hazard
Environmental hazard

Massachusetts Right To Know Components:
This material contains components subject to the Massachusetts Right to Know Act. See Section 2 for hazard classification.
Pennsylvania Right To Know Components:
This material contains components subject to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Act. See Section 2 for hazard classification.
New Jersey Right To Know Components:
This material contains components subject to the New Jersey Right to Know Act. See Section 2 for hazard classification.

California Prop. 65 Components:
This product does not contain any chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or any other reproductive harm.

Other regulatory listings:
- California Safe Cosmetics Program (CSCP) Reportable Ingredient: Hazard Traits - Carcinogenicity Authoritative List - IARC Carcinogens - 2A; NTP RoC - reasonable Report - regardless of intended function of ingredient in the product
- FDA Requirements: The Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations identifies currently marketed prescription drug products, including chloramphenicol sodium succinate, approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by FDA under sections 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. /Chloram

15.2 Chemical safety assessment
A chemical safety assessment has not been carried out for this substance.
For research-use-only compounds, no CSA is required under REACH Annex I.

Revision Date: 2026/09/08
Further Information: The information provided is believed to be correct but is not exhaustive and should be used only as a guideline based on current knowledge. It does not represent a guarantee of the properties of the product. Selleck Chemicals Corporation and its Affiliates shall not be held liable for any damage resulting from handling or contact with the product.