naphthalene (CAS 91-20-3) — Safety Data Sheet

For naphthalene (CAS 91-20-3) the documentation obligation begins before the first shipment. This page sets out what the safety data sheet has to establish.

naphthalene (CAS 91-20-3) at a glance

• Substance – naphthalene
• CAS number – 91-20-3
• EC number – 202-049-5
• CLP Annex VI index number – 601-[CAS?]
• Hazard statements – H351 (suspected of causing cancer); H302 (harmful if swallowed); H400 (very toxic to aquatic life); H410 (very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects)
• Hazard classes – Carc. 2, Acute Tox. 4 *, Aquatic Acute 1, Aquatic Chronic 1
• Label pictograms – GHS07, GHS08, GHS09
• Signal word – Warning
• Entry current as of – CLP00
• CMR classification – not classified as CMR in the harmonised entry
• Documentation issued – safety data sheet in REACH Annex II structure; working draft or signed card
• What is supplied – a document. MolGod.org does not sell, supply or ship chemical substances.

What is the CLP classification of naphthalene?

The harmonised classification for CAS 91-20-3 carries 4 hazard statements: H351, H302, H400, H410. In plain terms this means suspected of causing cancer; harmful if swallowed; very toxic to aquatic life; very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. A harmonised entry is binding across the Union — an importer may not soften it, and a self-classification that diverges from it will not survive an enforcement check.

Disposal route and waste classification

Disposal of naphthalene and of its packaging is section 13, and it has to align with the classification: a substance with an aquatic hazard cannot be routed to drain, and the waste code assigned by the holder follows from the hazard profile, not from convenience.

How is naphthalene classified for road, sea and air transport?

Section 14 for CAS 91-20-3 carries the UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and environmental hazard where these apply. Where the substance is not dangerous for carriage, the section says so explicitly rather than being left empty — an empty section 14 reads as an omission, not as an absence of hazard.

Which GHS pictograms apply to naphthalene?

The label for naphthalene carries GHS07 (exclamation mark), GHS08 (health hazard), GHS09 (environment), with the signal word Warning. These are not chosen by the supplier: CLP Annex VI states them for CAS 91-20-3, and the precedence rules in Annex I decide which pictogram is dropped when two would say the same thing. A label showing a different set from the register is wrong even if every hazard statement on it is correct.

Identifiers that must agree

The CAS 91-20-3 number and index number 601-[CAS?] are not interchangeable or decorative elements; they serve distinct purposes. The index number connects to the harmonised classification system, whereas the CAS number links to chemical literature. A document containing one without the other requires readers to independently reconstruct this relationship, which may lead to errors during reconstruction.

Who is responsible for REACH compliance for naphthalene?

The responsibility for documentation accompanying naphthalene lies with the entity introducing it into the Union market, rather than with any external supplier. Importers bear the same obligations as manufacturers, including designating an identifiable EU contact in section 1. A non-EU supplier may appoint a sole representative, but this appointment must be established prior to the movement of goods, not in response to subsequent inquiries.

Documentation demand on the EU market

CAS 91-20-3 has a recorded presence on the European trading market, which means documentation for it is requested routinely rather than exceptionally. Substances that move in commerce attract repeat scrutiny: the same sheet is read by successive customers, carriers and authorities, and a defect that survives the first reading rarely survives the tenth.

What must the label for naphthalene contain?

The supply label for naphthalene is generated from the same classification that drives the safety data sheet: pictograms selected by precedence, one signal word derived from the highest hazard class present, and the hazard statements H351, H302, H400… reproduced in full. Where the container is too small to carry the complete set at a legible size, there are lawful ways to handle it and unlawful ones that look identical to a non-specialist.

Storage and handling in the document

Section 7 of the sheet for naphthalene sets out handling and storage: incompatible materials, conditions to avoid, and any segregation the classification implies. Laboratories reading this section want a specific instruction, not a caution — an entry that says only ‘store in a cool dry place’ leaves the storekeeper to invent the rest.

Which SDS sections decide whether a shipment clears?

A sheet for CAS 91-20-3 is read by number, not as a narrative. Subsections matter as much as sections: an inspector looking for 3.1 will not accept the information folded into a paragraph elsewhere, however complete that paragraph is. Completeness is judged by structure first and content second.

First-aid content and why it is read first

Section 4 covers first-aid measures for naphthalene by route of exposure: inhalation, skin, eye and ingestion, each answered separately. Generic advice to ‘seek medical attention’ in all four is the most common defect, and it is the one that matters at the moment somebody needs the sheet.

Where is regulatory status recorded for naphthalene?

Whether CAS 91-20-3 carries obligations beyond classification — candidate list entry, authorisation, restriction — belongs in section 15. Customers increasingly request a written statement on this point before placing an order, and the sheet is the natural place for it.

Can I import naphthalene into the EU?

Placing naphthalene (CAS 91-20-3) on the European Union market requires a safety data sheet compiled to Annex II of REACH before the first consignment moves. For substances listed in CLP Annex VI, customs and carrier checks concentrate on regulated consignments, where the classification stated in section 2 must agree with the harmonised entry in CLP Annex VI under index number 601-[CAS?].

What happens if a consignment of naphthalene is refused?

When a shipment of naphthalene is detained, the expense is typically not the document itself. It is the storage costs, demurrage fees, and the delay incurred by the customer. This financial calculation underscores the importance of verifying the documentation prior to dispatch rather than after receiving a notification from the border.

Protective equipment and exposure controls

Section 8 outlines exposure controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) for naphthalene: appropriate glove materials, eye protection, respiratory protection when warranted by the hazard classification, and any established occupational exposure limits. The choice of glove material is more critical than merely wearing gloves; nitrile gloves are not universally suitable.

What is the EC number for naphthalene?

Alongside CAS 91-20-3, this substance carries EC number 202-049-5 and Annex VI index 601-[CAS?]. European documentation is built around the EC number as often as around the CAS: registration dossiers, the candidate list and customs systems key on it. A safety data sheet quoting only one of the two forces every downstream reader to look up the other.

Aquatic hazard and disposal

Aquatic hazard classification (H400, H410) for CAS 91-20-3 reaches beyond the label. It governs the environmental section of the safety data sheet, the disposal route stated in section 13, and in several Member States the reporting threshold for storage. Consignments carrying an aquatic hazard also attract marine pollutant marking when moved by sea.

Why a correct sheet stops being correct

Classification under CLP moves with each Adaptation to Technical Progress. A sheet for CAS 91-20-3 written before the amendment that touched its entry keeps stating a classification the register no longer holds. Nothing in the document announces this — it reads exactly as it did on the day it was issued, which is precisely why revision dates are checked before content.

Questions about documentation for naphthalene

Can I check whether my existing sheet is still valid?

Yes. A section-by-section reading against Annex II and the current harmonised entry establishes that in one pass, and a sheet that passes is reported as passing.

Do I need a safety data sheet to import naphthalene into the EU?

Yes. A sheet compiled to Annex II of REACH must exist before the first consignment moves, and it must be held by the entity placing the substance on the Union market.

What is the CAS number of naphthalene?

CAS 91-20-3. In CLP Annex VI the same substance carries index number 601-[CAS?], and both identifiers should appear in the documentation.

What hazard statements apply to CAS 91-20-3?

The harmonised entry lists H351, H302, H400, H410. These are binding across the Union and may not be softened by a self-classification.

MolGod.org issues documentation and does not sell, supply or ship chemical substances. CAS 91-20-3 identifies the subject of this document.