Information Regarding Acetone and Paint (Industrial Coatings)

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/f?./temp/~rqxBHy:1
ACETONE
CASRN: 67-64-1

Probable Routes of Human Exposure :

NIOSH (NOES Survey 1981-1983) has statistically estimated that 1,510,107 workers (466,677 of these are female) are potentially exposed to Acetone in the US(1). Occupational exposure may be through inhalation and dermal contact with this compound at workplaces where acetone is produced or used(SRC). The 8 hour TWA exposure to acetone was in the range of 0-70,000 umols/cu m in a survey of 659 occupationally exposed male subjects working in shoe, plastics and chemical plants in Italy (2). Workers in a Japanese acetate fiber producing plant had detectable levels of acetone in urine samples between 1 and 160 mg/l(3). The average TWA exposure to acetone in 7 spray painting and glue spraying plants was 0.9, 3.2, 2.3 0.9 and 5.6 ppm for higher-aromatic paint spraying, lower-aromatic paint spraying, glue spraying, solvent wiping, and paint mixing respectively(4).
[(1) NIOSH; National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES) (1983) (2) Ghittori S et al; Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 48: 786 (1987) (3) Fujino A et al; Br J Ind Med 49: 654-57 (1992) (4) Whitehead LW et al; Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 45: 767-72 (1984)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Manufacturers :

Union Carbide Corporation, Hq, Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT 06817, (203) 794-2000; Chemicals and Plastics Business Group; Solvents and Coatings Materials Division; Production site: Institute, WV 25103
[SRI. 1996 Directory of Chemical Producers-United States of America. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International, 1996.427]**PEER REVIEWED**

Consumption Patterns :

25% FOR METHYL METHACRYLATE; 14% FOR METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE; 10% AS COATING SOLVENT; 10% FOR OTHER ORGANIC CHEMS; 6% IN PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURE; 5% FOR METHACRYLIC ACID AND HIGHER METHACRYLATES; 5% FOR BISPHENOL-A; 4% FOR CELLULOSE ACETATE SPINNING; 21% FOR MISC (1973)
[SRI]**PEER REVIEWED**

Consumption Patterns :

CHEMICAL PROFILE: Acetone. Methylmethacrylate, methacrylic acid and higher methacrylates, 34%; coatings solvent, 15%; bisphenol-A, 12%; MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone), 10%; solvent for cellulose acetate, 5%; drug and pharmaceutical applications, 5%; miscellaneous chemical and solvent uses, 6%; exports, 5%.
[Kavaler AR; Chemical Marketing Reporter 232 (12): 70 (1987)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Effluent Concentrations :

Acetone was detected in the leachate of several municipal landfills at concns between 6-4,400 ug/l(1). Acetone was detected in the wastewater of a truck parts producing plant in Michigan at a concn of 44.5 ug/l(2). Acetone was detected in the effluent of an unauthorized hazardous waste disposal facility in New Jersey at a concn of 480 ug/l(3). Acetone was detected at a concn of 46.6 ppb in the leachate of a landfill in Delaware containing industrial and municipal waste(4). Acetone was detected at concns between 0.05-62 mg/l and 0.14-44 mg/l in the leachate of industrial landfills and municipal landfills in the US(5). Acetone was detected in the leachate of a landfill in Connecticut at a concn of 3,500 ug/l(6).
[(1) Christensen TH et al; Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 24: 119-202 (1994) (2) USEPA; Superfund Record of Decision: Kysor Industrial, Cadillac, MI. USEPA/ROD/R05/-89/113 (1989) (3) USEPA; Superfund Record of Decision: Lang Property, Pemberton Township, NJ. USEPA/ROD/R05/-89/113 (1987) (4) Dewalle FB, Chian Esk; J Am Water Works Assoc 73: 206-11 (1981) (5) Brown KW, Donnelly KC; Haz Waste Haz Mater 5: 1-30 (1988) (6) Sawhney BL; pp 447-74 in Reactions and Movements of Organic Chemicals in Soils SSSA Special Pub No 22 (1989)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Analytic Laboratory Methods :

EPA Method 1624 - Volatile Organic Compounds By GC/MS: Grab samples in municipal and industrial discharges are collected. If residual chlorine is present, add sodium thiosulfate. Extraction is performed by a purge and trap apparatus. An isotope dilution gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry method for the determination of volatile organic compounds in municipal and industrial discharges is described. Unlabeled acetone has a minimum level of 50 ug/l and a mean retention time of 565 sec.
[40 CFR 136 (7/1/86)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Major Uses :

EXTRACTION OF VARIOUS PRINCIPLES FROM ANIMAL AND PLANT SUBSTANCES; IN PAINT & VARNISH REMOVERS; PURIFYING PARAFFIN
[Budavari, S. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1996.12]**PEER REVIEWED**

Human Toxicity Excerpts :

A total of 659 males occupationally exposed to acetone and other solvents were divided into nine unrelated groups working in plastic boat, chemical, plastic button, paint, and shoe factories. Urine samples were collected at the beginning of the workshift and at the end of the first half of the shift. A close relationship (correlation coefficient always above 0.85) between the average environmental solvent concentration (mg/cu m) measured in the breathing zone and the urinary concentration of unchanged solvent (ug/l) was observed. A Biological Equivalent Exposure Limit (56 mg/l) corresponding to the environmental Threshold Limit Value (58 mg/l) was recommended for acetone. The biological exposure data for urine collected over 4 hr during random sampling for at least 1 yr could be used to evaluate long-term exposure and probability of non-compliance for individual or groups of workers.
[Ghittori S et al; Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 48 (9): 786-90 (1987)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Environmental Fate/Exposure Summary :

Acetone's production and use as a solvent for fats, oils, waxes, resins, rubbers, plastics, pharmaceuticals and rubber cements may result in its release to the environment through various waste streams. Its use as an extracting reagent and starting material or intermediate in the manufacture of chemical products will also lead to its release to the environment. Acetone occurs naturally as a metabolic byproduct of plants and animals and is released into the atmosphere by volcanoes and forest fires. Based on an experimental vapor pressure of 231 mm Hg at 25 deg C, acetone is expected to exist solely as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase acetone is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals with an estimated atmospheric half-life of 71 days. Acetone also undergoes photodecomposition by sunlight with an estimated half-life of about 80 days. Acetone is expected to have very high mobility in soils based upon an estimated Koc value of 1. Volatilization from dry soil surfaces is expected based upon the vapor pressure of this compound. Volatilization from moist soil surfaces is also expected based upon the measured Henry's Law constant of 1.87X10-5 atm-cu m/mol. This compound is expected to biodegrade under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In water, acetone is not expected to adsorb to suspended solids or sediment based upon its estimated Koc value. Volatilization from water surfaces is expected to be an important environmental fate process given its estimated Henry's Law constant. Estimated half-lives for a model river and model lake are 38 and 333 hours, respectively. Experimentally determined volatilization half-lives in a shallow stream were measured in the range of 8-18 hours. Bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is considered low based upon an estimated BCF value of 1. Occupational exposure may be through inhalation and dermal contact with this compound at workplaces where acetone is produced or used. The general population may be exposed to acetone through the use of commercially available products containing this compound such as paints, adhesives, cosmetics, and rubber cements. Exposure will also arise from inhalation of ambient air, ingestion of drinking water, and food that contains acetone. (SRC)
**PEER REVIEWED**

Probable Routes of Human Exposure :

The general population may be exposed to acetone through the use of commercially available products containing this compound such as paints, adhesives, cosmetics, and rubber cements(SRC). Exposure will also arise from inhalation of ambient air, ingestion of drinking water, and food that contains acetone(SRC). The average blood concn of acetone in 600 non-occupationally exposed persons in the US was 3,100 ppb(1).
[(1) Ashley DL et al; Clin Chem 40: 1401-04 (1994)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Toxicity Summary :

Exposure to acetone results from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Acetone also occurs as a metabolic component in blood, urine and human breath. ... Acetone is one of three ketone bodies that occur naturally throughout the body. It can be formed endogenously in the mammalian body from fatty acid oxidation. Fasting, diabetes mellitus and strenuous exercise increase endogenous generation of acetone. Under normal conditions, the production of ketone bodies occurs almost entirely within the liver and to a smaller extent in the lung and kidney. ... Products are excreted in the blood and transported to all tissues and organs of the body where they can be used as a source of energy. Two of these ketone bodies, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, are organic acids that can cause metabolic acidosis when produced in large amounts, as in diabetes mellitus. ... Endogenous acetone is eliminated from the body either by excretion in urine and exhaled air or by enzymatic metabolism. ... Acetone is rapidly absorbed via the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of human and laboratory animals, as indicated by the detection of acetone in blood within 30 min of inhalation exposure and 20 min of oral administration. ... The nasal cavities of human and laboratory animals appear to have a limited ability to absorb and excrete acetone vapor, compared with the remainder of the respiratory tract. Acetone is uniformly distributed among non-adipose tissues and does not accumulate in adipose tissue. ... Acetone is rapidly cleared from the body by metabolism and excretion. ... Exhalation is the major route of elimination for acetone and its terminal metabolite (carbon dioxide), and the fraction of administered acetone that is exhaled as unchanged acetone is dose-related. Urinary excretion of acetone and its metabolites occurs but this route of elimination is minor ... Exogenously supplied acetone enters into many metabolic reactions in tissues throughout the body, but the liver appears to be the site of most extensive metabolism. Carbon from orally administered acetone has been detected in cholesterol, amino acids, fatty acids and glycogen in rat tissues, urea in urine and unchanged acetone and CO2 in exhaled breath. Metabolically, acetone is degraded to acetate and formate ... Oral LD50 values in adult rats are in the range of 5800-7138 mg/kg. ... Experimental animal data characterizing the effects of long term oral or inhalation exposure to acetone are not available, due probably to its low toxicity and its endogenous characteristics. ... Pretreatment of rodents with acetone enhances the hepatotoxic effects of a number of compounds, notably halogenated alkanes. ... Acetone is not considered to be genotoxic or mutagenic. ... In a study of pregnant rats and mice exposed to acetone vapor during days 6-19 of gestation, slight developmental toxicity was observed ... Reports of other reproductive effects of acetone include observations of testicular effects and changes of sperm quality in rats ... Acetone has been used extensively as a solvent vehicle in skin carcinogenicity studies and is not considered carcinogenic when applied to the skin. Acetone is relatively less toxic than many other industrial solvents; however, at high concentrations, acetone vapor can cause CNS depression, cardiorespiratory failure and death. Acute exposures of humans to atmospheric concentrations ... have been reported to produce either no gross toxic effects or minor transient effects, such as eye irritation. More severe transient effects (including vomiting and fainting) were reported for workers exposed to acetone vapor concentrations ... for about 4 hr. Acute exposures to acetone have also been reported to alter performances in neurobehavioral tests in humans. ... Females ... were reported to suffer menstrual irregularities.
[Environmental Health Criteria 207: Acetone. pp. 1-7 (1998) by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organization.]**QC REVIEWED**

Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts :

A SHORT INHALATION EXPT WAS PERFORMED ON MICE USING VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL AIRBORNE CHEMICALS, INCL ACETONE. FOR EACH CMPD SYSTEMATIC DETERMINATION OF CONCN ASSOC WITH A 50% DECR IN RESP RATE WAS USED FOR COMPARISONS. DATA MAY HELP ESTABLISH WORKPLACE TLV'S.
[DE CEAURRIZ JC ET AL; TOXICOL LETT 9 (2): 137-43 (1981)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts :

In studies of acetone-potentiated liver injury induced by haloalkanes, acetone is usually given by gavage, whereas industrial exposure to acetone normally occurs by inhalation. It was of interest to verify if the route of administration influences the potentiation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 4 hr to acetone vapors or treated orally with acetone; the minimal effective dose levels for potentiating CCl4-induced liver injury were estimated to be 2500 ppm and 0.25 mg/kg, respectively. Groups were treated with acetone using 0.4, 1, 2, 4, or 6 times the minimal effective dose. Half of each group was killed at various time intervals after treatment for blood acetone measurements by gas chromatography; the other half was challenged with CCl4 (0.1 ,l/kg, ip) 18 hr after acetone, and killed 24 hr later. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and bilirubin concentrations were measured. Inhalation and oral administration of acetone both potentiated CCl4 toxicity. Rats exposed repetitively to acetone vapors (10 daily exposures) and subsequently challenged with CCl4 exhibited liver toxicity that was not significantly different from that of rats subjected to a single exposure. Correlations between ALT activities and maximal bloodacetone concentrations were found to be linear (positive) and significant for both routes. For a given blood acetone concentration, however, toxicity was least severe following acetone exposure by inhalation.
[Charbonneau M et al; Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 84 (2): 286-94 (1986)]**PEER REVIEWED**

Absorption, Distribution & Excretion :

ACETONE IS ONE OF THE LEAST HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIAL SOLVENTS, BUT IS HIGHLY VOLATILE AND MAY BE INHALED IN LARGE QUANTITIES. IT MAY BE ABSORBED INTO THE BLOOD THROUGH THE LUNGS AND DIFFUSED THROUGHOUT THE BODY. SMALL QUANTITIES MAY BE ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN.
[International Labour Office. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Vols. I&II. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Office, 1983.38]**PEER REVIEWED**

Milk Concentrations :

Acetone was identified, not quantified, in human milk from Bayonne, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Pittsburgh, PA and Baton Rouge, LA(1). Acetone was identified, not quantified, in all 8 samples of mother's milk analyzed from 4 industrial urban areas in the USA(2). Acetone was identified, not quantified from milk samples in Australia(3).
[(1) Erickson MD et al; Acquisition and chemical analysis of mother's milk for selected toxic substances. USEPA-560/13-80-029. Washington DC: US EPA Off Pestic Toxic Subst (1980) (2) Pellizzari ED et al; Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 28: 322-8 (1982) (3) Urbach G; J Chromatogr 404: 163-74 (1987)]**PEER REVIEWED**

GLCC RELATED TOXIC SUBSTANCES FOUND IN THE CAMP POND AND CAMP WATER WELL 2003 AND 2004

GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL CORPORATION AND THE PATHFINDERS CAMP