Xylene: Solvent Used to Clean Paint Spray Hoses and Tools at GLCC-Central
Information Regarding Xylene and Solvent
Xylene: Solvent Used to Clean Paint Spray
Hoses and Tools at GLCC-Central
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/f?./temp/~aZpOQ5:1
XYLENE
CASRN: 1330-20-7
Preventive Measures :
A major concern in the painting studio is solvents,
/including xylene/. ... Precautions
include ... use of dilution and local exhaust ventilation, control of storage
areas, disposal of solvent soaked rags
in covered containers, minimizing skin exposure and the use of respirators and
other personal protective equipment. The control of fire hazards is also
important, since many of the solvents
are highly flammable.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
USING A STANDARDIZED INTERVIEW SCHEDULE,
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ORG SOLVENTS
WAS INVESTIGATED IN 61 MALE PATIENTS WITH DIAGNOSIS OF NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA.
RESULTS INDICATE A RELATION BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO ORG SOLVENTS
& SUPRADIAPHRAGMATIC PRESENTATION OF NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA. ELEVEN REPORTED
EXPOSURE TO XYLENE. HOWEVER, IN MOST
CASES EXPOSURE TO MORE THAN ONE SOLVENT
WAS REPORTED.
Interactions :
The present study involved an investigation of
possible interactions between 3 aromatic hydrocarbons in their ability to affect
the development of the rat embryonic brain in vitro during 40 hr of the
organogenic period. The embryos were explanted on day 10.5 of gestation and
cultured in heat-inactivated rat serum to which various combinations of toluene,
xylene or benzene had been added in
0.1% DMSO as dispersant. The actual amt of solvent
present at different times in the culture period was quantitated using GC. The
results showed that the solvents
affected embryonic development in an additive manner (toluene 0.287 + or -
0.077; xylene 0.331 + or - 0.026;
benzene 0.256 + or - 0.020; toluene + xylene
0.294 + or - 0.047; toluene + benzene 0.261 + or - 0.025; xylene
+ benzene 0.252 + or - 0.014 mL/mL). In each case the embryos had a small
flattened head. Also, addition of below-threshold levels of solvents
alone or in combo resulted in apparently normal embryonic development. The data
indicate that exposure to combinations of toluene, xylene
and benzene result in an additive rather than a synergistic or potentiating
effect on rat embryonic development in vitro.
Probable Routes of Human Exposure :
THE ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF USING
SOFT CONTACT LENSES (IN HUMANS) IN ENVIRONMENTS WITH FUMES FROM SOLVENTS
OR SPLASHES OF STRONG ACIDS & ALKALIS WERE STUDIED EXPERIMENTALLY. UPTAKE OF
XYLENE BY LENS MATERIALS WAS UP TO 90
TIMES THAT BY PHYSIOLOGIC SALINE, USED TO SIMULATE TEAR FLUID. WHEN EXPOSED
LENSES WERE SOAKED FOR 10 & 60 MIN IN A VERY SMALL VOLUME OF SALINE THE
CONCN OF SOLVENT IN THAT SALINE WAS
ONLY UP TO 23 & 11%, RESPECTIVELY, OF THAT IN DIRECT EXPOSED SALINE. SOLVENTS
WERE RELEASED MAINLY TO THE AIR. CONTACT LENSES WOULD LEAD TO A PROLONGED
EXPOSURE BUT TO A RATHER LOW CONCN AS COMPARED TO DIRECT EXPOSURE.
Analytic Laboratory Methods :
Commercial heterogeneous solvent
products (eg paints, inks, and adhesives) were collected nationwide in Japan in
1980. The vapor phase of the product containers were analyzed for volatile
organic solvent constituents by means
of FID-gas chromatography on two FS-WCOT (OV-101 and PEG-600) capillary columns.
... Organic solvent components
identified, ... /included/ xylenes /which were/ predominantly the m- (66%) and
p- isomers. (61%)
General Manufacturing Information :
The commerical product mixed xylenes (a
technical product generally containing 20% each of o-xylene,
p-xylene and ethylbenzene, as well as
small quantities of toluene) analogously to toluene is an agent of major
chemical and occupational significance. It is produced in very large quantities
and is extensively employed in a broad spectrum of applications, primarily as a solvent
for which its use is increasing as a safe replacement for benzene, and in
gasoline as part of the BTX component (benzene-toluene-xylene);
xylenes are also frequently used in the rubber industry with other solvents
such as toluene and benzene. As individual isomers they are extensively employed
in the synthesis of synthetic agents. For example, phthalic acid, isophthalic
acid, terephthalic acid, and diemthylterephthalate have very broad applications
in the further preparation of phthalate ester plasticizers and components of
polyester fiber, film and fabricated items. ... Compared with benzene and
toluene, very much less is known of the human health hazards, particularly the
chronic effects of xylenes, either as mixed xylenes, as individual isomers or in
admixture with other alkylbenzenes.
Consumption Patterns :
SOURCE OF P-XYLENE,
61.7%; SOURCE OF O-XYLENE, 12.3%; SOLVENT
FOR PAINTS & COATINGS, 5.7%; OTHER SOLVENT
USES, 3.1%; SOURCE OF ETHYLBENZENE, 3.1%; SOURCE OF M-XYLENE,
0.9%; GASOLINE BACK-BLENDING & MISCELLANEOUS, 13.2% (1980 RECOVERED USE)
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
In workers exposed to organic solvents
(acetone, benzene, toluene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, xylene,
gasoline, and turpentine) the incidence of chronic bronchitis was higher, and
the volume of expiratory air was lower than in normal control subjects. In
smokers the incidence was higher than nonsmokers of /exposed and nonexposed/
groups. Smoking increases risk of chronic bronchitis in ... subjects /exposed to
organic solvents/.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
CNS DEFECTS WERE MORE COMMON IN CHILDREN OF
MOTHERS EXPOSED TO ORG SOLVENTS &
DUSTS DURING PREGNANCY. HYDRANENCEPHALY OCCURRED IN CHILDREN WHOSE MOTHERS HAD
BEEN EXPOSED TO THE SOLVENTS TOLUENE, XYLENE,
& WHITE SPIRIT DURING MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER PRODUCTS.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
For the period 1961-80, 118 cases of
industrial gassings caused by the solvents
methlyene chloride, xylene, toluene
and styrene were reported to Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. The data were
collated and analyzed according to the predetermined criteria of age, sex, mode
and circumstances of use, clinical effect and outcome. The study shows the /SRP:
CNS depressant/ effect of these solvents
and underlines the dangers of their use in confined spaces. Symptoms were most
commonly attributable to the nervous and respiratory system.
Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts :
Xylene,
a widely used industrial solvent, is a
mixture of ortho-, meta-, and para- isomers. In this study, ... the effects of
each isomer, as well as a commercial-grade mixture of xylenes, on two behavioral
measures /were examined/: 1) Operant performance of 15 mice trained to
lever-press under a DRL (differential reinforcement of low rates) 10 sec
schedule, and 2) motor performance of mice on an inverted screen test. The 15
min operant sessions immediately followed 30 min exposures to solvent
vapors (500 to 7000 ppm), or air, in static inhalation chambers. Ortho-, meta-,
para-, and mixed xylenes produced similar biphasic effects on response rates,
and concentration dependent decreases in reinforcement rates.
Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts :
... It is of importance to note that
coal-based solvents (eg, xylene)
have been suggested to be possible potent lymphocytic leukemogens, such as
benzene, in a limited study of the relationship between lymphocytic leukemia and
exposures to benzene and other solvents
in the rubber industry. Available animal data on the carcinogenicity of xylene(s)
are inadequate to permit an evaluation. In limited studies thus far, the
individual isomers were not found genotoxic when tested in a number of
short-term tests.
Environmental Fate/Exposure Summary :
Commercial xylene
is a mixture of the three xylene
isomers in the following percent ranges: 2-xylene,
10-25 percent; 3-xylene 45-70 percent;
and 4-xylene 6-15 percent. Its
production and use in petroleum products, as a chemical solvent,
and as an organic synthesis reagent may result in its release to the environment
through various waste streams, including discharges from storage facilities and
the use of automobiles. Natural sources of xylene
such as petroleum, forest fires and the volatiles of plants may also account for
this compounds presence in the environment. Xylene
will enter the atmosphere primarily from fuel emissions and exhausts linked with
its use in gasoline. Based upon an experimental vapor pressure of 7.99 mm Hg at
25 deg C, xylene is expected to exist
entirely in the vapor phase in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase xylene
is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl
radicals with an estimated atmospheric lifetime of about 1-2 days. Xylene
is expected to have moderate to high mobility in soils based upon experimental
Koc values obtained with a variety of soils at differing pH values and organic
carbon content. Volatilization from moist soil surfaces is expected based on an
experimental Henry's Law constant of 7.0X10-3 atm-cu m/mole. Biodegradation is
an important environmental fate process for xylene.
In general, it has been found that xylene
is biodegraded in soil and groundwater samples under aerobic conditions and may
be degraded under anaerobic denitrifying conditions. In water, xylene
is expected to adsorb somewhat to sediment or particulate matter based on its
measured Koc values. This compound is expected to volatilize from water surfaces
given its experimental Henry's Law constant. Estimated half-lives for a model
river and model lake are 3 and 99 hours, respectively. The potential for
bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low based on an experimental BCF value
of 20, measured in eels. Exposure to xylene
may occur occupationally during its production or subsequent use, particularly
as a solvent or in gasoline, via
dermal and respiratory routes. The main route of exposure for the general
population will be through inhalation of contaminated air as well as ingestion
of contaminated drinking water and food. Dermal contact with household products
containing xylene is also expected to
be significant. (SRC)
Formulations/Preparations :
Solvent
xylene, 2 deg C range
Major Uses :
RAW MATERIAL FOR PRODUCTION OF BENZOIC ACID;
AS SOLVENT; MANUFACTURING DYES &
OTHER ORGANICS; STERILIZING CATGUT; PRODUCTION OF PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE,
ISOPHTHALIC & TEREPHTHALIC ACIDS & THEIR DIMETHYL ESTERS USED IN
MANUFACTURE OF POLYESTER FIBERS; WITH CANADA BALSAM AS OIL-IMMERSION IN
MICROSCOPY; CLEANING AGENT IN MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUE
Major Uses :
Manufacture of resins, paints, varnishes,
general solvent for adhesives
Major Uses :
SOLVENT-EG,
FOR PAINTS, COATINGS, ADHESIVES & RUBBER
Major Uses :
Used as a solvent
in phenoxyalkanoic herbicides.
Major Uses :
Used as an indirect food additive polymer for
use as a basic component of single and repeated use food contact surfaces. Xylene
is used as a solvent in polysulfide
polymer-polyepoxide resins.
Hazards Summary :
The major hazards encountered in the use and
handling of xylene stem from its
toxicologic properties and flammability. Exposure to this clear, sweet-smelling
liquid may occur during its use as a solvent
for paints, coatings, adhesives, and rubber and as a component of gasoline.
Toxic by all routes of exposure (ie, dermal, ingestion, and inhalation), xylene
can cause effects including headache, dizziness, skin and eye irritation, kidney
and liver impairment, to pulmonary edema, coma, and death. The ACGIH recommends
a workplace exposure limit (TLV) of 100 ppm as an 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA);
however, to assure protection, wear Buna-N-rubber gloves, apron, and safety
glasses. In unknown concentrations or emergency situations, an approved organic
vapor cannister respirator with a full-face plate or self-contained breathing
apparatus and full protective clothing are recommended. If contact does occur,
immediately flush exposed eyes with running water, wash exposed skin with soap
and water, and remove contaminated clothing. Xylene
is ignitable by heat, sparks, and flame and may do so explosively in an enclosed
area. Also, vapor may travel a considerable distance to a source of ignition,
and flash back. The heat of a fire may cause containers to explode and/or cause
thermal degradation of xylene,
producing irritating or poisonous gases. Fires involving xylene
may be extinguished with dry chemical, CO2, water spray, fog, or foam. For
massive fires in enclosed areas, use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles.
If a xylene tank car or truck is
involved in a fire, isolate 1/2 mile in all directions. Runoff from fire control
water may cause pollution, and upon entering a sewer, may create an explosion
hazard. Xylene substance should be
stored in cool, well-ventilated places, away from sources of ignition and strong
oxidizing materials. ... For small spills of xylene,
take up with sand or other non-combustible absorbent, and place in containers
for later disposal, or absorb on paper and evaporate in an appropriate exhaust
hood. For large spills on land, dike to contain or divert to impermeable holding
area (water spray may need to be applied to control flammable vapor) and remove
material with pumps or vacuum equipment. Absorb residual with sand, vermiculite,
or activated carbon and place in metal containers with covers. For large spills
on water, contain material with booms, weirs, or natural barriers. Apply a
universal gelling agent, and use (oil) skimming equipment or suction hoses to
remove slick and trapped, solidified mass. Prior to implementing land disposal
of waste residue (including waste sludge), consult environmental regulatory
agencies.
Hazardous Reactivities & Incompatibilities :
An attempt to chlorinate xylene
with 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-imidazolidindione (dichlorohydrantoin) caused
a violent explosion. The haloimide undergoes immediate self accelerating decomp
in the presence of solvents.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
Transient mildly elevated hepatic
aminotransferase levels and reversible renal failure were reported in an
estimated 10,000 ppm xylene exposure
occurring during the painting of a poorly ventilated ship compartment. Two men
were comatose and one was dead on arrival after this prolonged exposure over 18
hours. The survivors developed no long-term sequelae. The contributions of
hypoxia and a toluene solvent could
not be quantitated.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
Mixtures of organic solvents,
which include xylenes, have been implicated as the cause of lens change in car
painters. ...
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
Among nine pregnancies producing offspring
with caudal regression syndrome five mothers had exposure to fat solvents.
These included ... xylene.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
The correlation between xylene
exposure and urinary excretion of methyl hippuric acid (MHA) was studied in 40
workers (35 men, 5 women) employed in the paint industry. Subjects were exposed
primarily to xylene although exposure
to 11 other solvents was possible.
Personal sampling showed 8-hr TWA's for xylene
ranged from 0-865 mg/cu m with a median exposure of 69 mg/cu m. Urine was
collected over one 24-hr period for each worker. Personal air samples were
collected for each worker over the course of a complete workday. MHA excretion
was linearly correlated to the 8-hr TWA for xylene
exposure after adjustment for body weight. The total amount of MHA excreted in
the urine over 24 hr showed virtually the same correlation to xylene
exposure (r = 0.84) as the MHA excretion during the latter part of the workshift
(r = 0.81, sampling time 4-5 hr) among 37 workers exposed to 8-hr TWA xylene
concentrations of 0-200 mg/cu m.
Human Toxicity Excerpts :
Serum concentrations of liver enzymes were
determined for Swedish paint industry workers exposed to a mixture of organic solvents
including xylene. Mean xylene
exposure for 44 individuals was 82 mg/cu m (19 ppm) with a range of 1 to 6070
mg/cu m; five workers were exposed to a mean concentration of 865 mg/cu m (199
ppm). Serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, ornithine
carbamoyltransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities were not elevated
by these exposures. ... Occupational experience reveals complaints of
dermatitis, eczema, and irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract but rarely
serious illness. It is likely that untoward effects on the hematopoietic system
reported in the past as being caused by xylene
resulted from benzene contamination of commercial xylene.
Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts :
By exposing cats for several hours to
concentrations of xylene vapor which
were just sublethal /the laboratory/ succeeded in producing vacuoles in the
corneal epithelium which appeared to be analogous to those occurring in vacuolar
keratopathy occurring in workmen from exposure to solvent
vapors.
Absorption, Distribution & Excretion :
The uptake of solvent
by man during whole body exposure to toluene and xylene
occurs almost exclusively through the lung; dermal uptake represents about 1% of
the total uptake.
Absorption, Distribution & Excretion :
The correlation between xylene
exposure and urinary excretion of methyl hippuric acid (MHA) was studied in 40
workers (35 men, 5 women) employed in the paint industry. Subjects were exposed
primarily to xylene although exposure
to 11 other solvents was possible.
Personal sampling showed 8 hr time weighted average for xylene
ranged from 0-865 mg/cu m with a median exposure of 69 mg/cu m. Urine was
collected over one 24 hr period for each worker. Personal air samples were
collected for each worker over the course of a complete workday. Methyl hippuric
acid excretion was linearly correlated to the 8 hr time weighted average for xylene
exposure after adjustment for body weight. The total amount of methyl hippuric
acid excreted in the urine over 24 hr showed virtually the same correlation to xylene
exposure (r= 0.84) as the methyl hippuric acid excretion during the latter part
of the workshift (r= 0.81, sampling time 4-5 hr) among 37 workers exposed to 8
hr time weighted average xylene
concentrations of 0-200 mg/cu m.
Absorption, Distribution & Excretion :
Xylene
vapor is absorbed rapidly from the lungs, and xylene
liquid and vapor are absorbed slowly through the skin. Of the xylene
absorbed, about 95% is metabolized in the liver to methylhippuric acid and 70 to
80% of metabolites are excreted in the urine within 24 hr. However, the many
variables which affect the absorption, metabolism and clearance of xylene
incl exercise, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, co-exposure to other solvents,
gender, and GI, hepatic and renal pathology.
Artificial Pollution Sources :
Xylene's
production and use in petroleum products, as a chemical solvent
and intermediate, and for the manufacture of terephthalic acid and
herbicides(1-4) may result in its release to the environment through various
wastestreams(SRC).
Probable Routes of Human Exposure :
Exposure to organic solvent
vapors was investigated in 40 unit workplaces (with 189 workers) in 16 small
scale industries in north-east Japan ... in which synthetic urushi lacquer was
applied to produce non-metal tableware. ... Two furniture factories were also
studied. The equipment used was carbon felt dosimeters and portable PID-GC ... .
... The gas chromatography could analyze benzene-toluene xylenes within 150
seconds. ... Toluene was the major pollutant in the workplace air, with small
quantities of xylenes. ... Exposure did not exceed the current occupational
exposure limit in all the cases except for the two workers, who were excessively
exposed due to the generation of dense vapors in automated spraying process.
Probable Routes of Human Exposure :
NIOSH (NOES Survey 1981-1983) has
statistically estimated that 1,528,018 workers (316,320 of these are female) are
potentially exposed to xylenes in the US(1). An average xylene
concn of 0.1 ppm was detected in the breathing zones of paint shops sampled in
the US(2). Lab personnel are exposed to an average xylene
concn of 0.16 ppm and material handling personnel are exposed to an average xylene
concn of 1.6 ppm at hazardous waste facilities in the US(3). The 8 hour TWA
exposure to xylenes for personnel at organic solvent
recycling plants was measured as 1 ppm(4). A study from 1979-1987 calculated the
average exposure to xylenes in paint manufacturing plants as 2.01 ppm in
breathing zone locations(5). A survey of 97 autobody shops in the US reported
the 8 hour TWA exposure to xylenes was 3.3 ppm for painters and 0.7 ppm for
non-painting personnel(6). The 8 hour TWA for worker exposure to xylenes in a
German histology laboratory and a US histology laboratory was measured as
243-295 mg/cu m and 11-315 mg/cu m respectively(7). The 8 hour TWA for worker
exposure to xylenes in a US hospital laboratory was measured as 3-1700 mg/cu
m(7). Occupational exposure may be through inhalation and dermal contact with
this compound at workplaces where xylenes are produced or used(SRC). The general
population will be exposed to xylenes largely via inhalation of ambient air,
particularly in areas with heavy traffic, near filling stations and near
industrial sources such as refineries(SRC). Exposure may also arise from
consuming contaminated food and drinking water(SRC). An average concn of 0.37
ppb of 3- and 4-xylene was measured in
blood samples collected from 60 persons in the US that are not occupationally
exposed to xylenes(8).
Probable Routes of Human Exposure :
Humans are exposed to xylene
primarily from air, particularly in areas with heavy traffic, near filling
stations, near industrial sources such as refineries or where xylene
is used as a solvent. Exposure may
also arise from drinking contaminated well water near leaking underground
gasoline storage tanks or from spills of petroleum products. (SRC)
Allowable Tolerances :
Residues of xylene
are exempted from the requirement of a tolerance when used as a solvent
and cosolvent (limits: pesticide formulations for grain storage only) in
accordance with good agricultural practices as inert (or occasionally active)
ingredients in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops or to raw
agricultural commodities after harvest. /Xylene/
Allowable Tolerances :
Xylene
is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance when used as a solvent
and cosolvent in accordance with good agricultural practice as inert (or
occasionally active) ingredients in pesticide formulations applied to growing
crops only. /Xylene/
RCRA Requirements :
F003; When xylene
is a spent solvent, it is classified
as a hazardous waste from a nonspecific source (F003), as stated in 40 CFR
261.31, and must be managed according to State and/or Federal hazardous waste
regulations.
Clinical Laboratory Methods :
Quantitative determination of urinary
metabolites exposed to xylene using
colorimetric determination is widely used. The metabolites of ... xylene
are measured as ... methyl hippuric acid (MHA), paper chromatography and
thin-layer chromatography are necessary as pretreatments of samples. The
addition of pyridine, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DAB) and acetic anhydride to
glycine conjugates gives the most stable color development. Excellect analytical
sensitivity and specificity with gas chromatographic methods requires
pretreatment with diazomethane for methylesterification of methyl hippuric acid.
High performance liquid chromatography has been widely used for analysis of
organic solvents. Non-volatile
metabolites in urine can be assayed by this method without pretreatment.
GLCC
RELATED TOXIC SUBSTANCES FOUND IN THE CAMP POND AND CAMP WATER WELL 2003 AND
2004