HAZARDOUS CARGO PROBLEM PROC ENCOUNTERED DURING FLUID SPILL IN CARGO BIN PRIOR TO DEP.

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DURING PAX AND CARGO LOADING; WE FOUND OUT FROM AN AGENT THAT WE HAD A CHEMICAL SPILL IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT. EVIDENTLY; DURING LOADING; A DRUM OF DIALYPHTHALATE BROKE OPEN AND AT LEAST 1 GALLON OF THE CHEMICAL WAS SPILLED. OUR MAINT PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM WITH THE ACFT SINCE IT WAS NOT CAUSTIC OR ACIDIC. HOWEVER; DURING QUESTIONING OF THE SUPVRS INVOLVED BY THE CAPT AND MYSELF; WE WERE SURPRISED IN THE LACK OF ACCURATE INFO THAT WE WERE GETTING. NO ONE KNEW WHAT THE CHEMICAL WAS AT FIRST; THEN THEY SAID IT WAS HARMLESS; DETERMINED BY CALLING THE LCL HOSPITAL. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS ANYTHING FROM A CLASS 2 FIRE HAZARD TO AN INSECTICIDE. FINALLY; THE CAPT CALLED WASHINGTON; DC; AND FOUND OUT IT WAS A CLASS 2 HEALTH HAZARD. THIS MEANT IT COULD BE AN IRRITANT IF BREATHED. THE SPILL WAS CLEANED UP; WE DON'T KNOW WHAT PROC WAS USED TO CLEAN IT UP; AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY UNEVENTFULLY. THE PROBLEMS I SEE IN THIS SITUATION ARE NUMEROUS. FIRST; WE DON'T KNOW IF THE CHEMICAL WAS PROPERLY LABELED. IT WAS BEING SHIPPED FROM BRITAIN. SECONDLY; THE CAPT WAS NOT INFORMED THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS CHEMICAL ON BOARD. ACCORDING TO OUR OPS MANUAL; ONLY HAZARDOUS GOODS NEED TO BE ANNOTATED. THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS; BUT IT WAS AN IRRITANT. FINALLY; WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF CLEANUP PROCS WERE FOLLOWED OR IF THEY WERE PROPER. I ALSO FEEL THE FAA SHOULD MANDATE THAT THE CAPT BE INFORMED OF ANY CHEMICALS OR CARGO THAT COULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE FLT IF IT WERE TO COME IN CONTACT WITH CABIN AIR PRESSURIZED OR UNPRESSURIZED.