September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
2-Butanone |
(2-Butanona) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about 2-butanone. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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SUMMARY: Exposure to 2-butanone
occurs in the workplace or from using consumer products
containing it. Mild irritations of the eyes, nose, and
throat were seen in people who breathed 2-butanone. This
chemical has been found in at least 472 of 1,416 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency. |
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What is 2-butanone? |
2-Butanone is a manufactured chemical
but it is also present in the environment from natural sources.
It is a colorless liquid with a sharp, sweet odor. It is also
known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).
2-Butanone is produced in large quantities.
Nearly half of its use is in paints and other coatings because
it will quickly evaporate into the air and it dissolves many
substances. It is also used in glues and as a cleaning agent.
2-Butanone occurs as a natural product.
It is made by some trees and found in some fruits and vegetables
in small amounts. It is also released to the air from car
and truck exhausts.
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What
happens to 2-butanone when it enters the environment? |
- 2-Butanone enters the air during production, use and transport,
and from hazardous waste sites.
- In air, one-half of it will break down from sunlight in
1 day or less.
- It dissolves in water and is broken down more slowly to
a simpler chemical form in about 2 weeks.
- It does not stick to soil and will travel through the
soil to the groundwater.
- Some of the 2-butanone in soil or water will evaporate
into the air.
- It does not deposit in the bottom of rivers or lakes.
- It is not expected to concentrate in fish or increase
in the tissues of animals further up the food chain.
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How
might I be exposed to 2-butanone? |
- Breathing contaminated air from the production or use
of paints, glues, coatings, or cleaning agents containing
it.
- Breathing contaminated air near hazardous waste sites.
- Breathing cigarette smoke.
- Sniffing glues.
- Drinking contaminated water from wells near manufacturing
or hazardous waste sites.
- Skin contact with the liquid during production or use.
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How
can 2-butanone affect my health? |
The known health effects to people from
exposure to 2-butanone are irritation of the nose, throat,
skin, and eyes. No one has died from breathing 2-butanone
alone. If 2-buta-none is breathed along with other chemicals
that damage health, it can increase the amount of damage that
occurs.
Serious health effects in animals have
been seen only at very high levels. When breathed, these effects
included birth defects, loss of consciousness, and death.
When swallowed, rats had nervous system effects including
drooping eyelids and uncoordinated muscle movements. There
was no damage to the ability to reproduce.
Mice who breathed low levels for a short
time showed temporary behavioral effects. Mild kidney damage
was seen in animals that drank water with lower levels of
2-butanone for a short time.
There are no long-term studies with animals
either breathing or drinking 2-butanone.
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How
likely is 2-butanone to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
has not classified 2-butanone as to its human carcinogenicity.
The International Agency for Research
on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have
also not classified 2-butanone as to its human carcinogenicity.
Two studies of workers exposed to 2-butanone
and other chemicals did not find an increase in cancer. No
animal studies are available that examine the potential for
2-butanone to cause cancer.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to 2-butanone? |
Tests are available to measure 2-butanone
or its breakdown products in blood, breath, and urine. These
tests are useful only to measure recent exposures because
2-butanone and its breakdown products leave the body rapidly.
These tests are not usually performed at your doctor's office,
but your doctor can take blood or urine samples and send them
to a testing laboratory.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA requires that discharges or spills
into the environment of 5,000 pounds of more of 2-butanone
be reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) set an occupational exposure limit of 200 parts of
2-butanone per million parts of workplace air (200 ppm) for
an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have established the
same guidelines as OSHA for the workplace.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
ppm: Parts per million.
Long-term: Lasting one year or longer.
Short time: Lasting 14 days or less.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for 2-butanone. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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