1.1 What are 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate? |
1.2 What happens to 2-butoxyethanol and
2-butoxyethanol acetate when they enter the environment? |
1.3 How might I be exposed to 2-butoxyethanol
and 2-butoxyethanol acetate? |
1.4 How can 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate enter and leave my body? |
1.5 How can 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate affect my health? |
1.6 Is there a medical test to determine
whether I have been exposed to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate? |
1.7 What recommendations has the federal
government made to protect human health? |
1.8 Where can I get more information? |
References |
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August 1998 |
Public Health Statement |
for |
2-Butoxyethanol and 2-Butoxyethanol
Acetate |
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CAS#
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2-Butoxyethanol 111-76-2 |
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2-Butoxyethanol Acetate 112-07-2 |
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This Public Health Statement is the
summary chapter from the Toxicological
Profile for 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate.
It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous
substances and their health effects. A shorter version, the
ToxFAQs™, is also available.
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. For more
information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
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This public health statement tells you
about 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate and the
effects of exposure.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation.
These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and
are the sites targeted for long-term federal clean-up activities.
2-Butoxyethanol has been found in at least 20 of the 1,430
current or former NPL sites. 2-Butoxyethanol acetate
has not been found at any of the 1,430 current or former NPL
sites. However, the total number of NPL sites evaluated
is not known. As more sites are evaluated, the sites
at which 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate are found
may increase. This is important because exposure to
these substances may harm you and because these sites may
be sources of exposure.
When a substance is released from a large
area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such
as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This
release does not always lead to exposure. You are exposed
to a substance only when you come in contact with it.
You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking the substance
or by skin contact.
If you are exposed to 2-butoxyethanol
or 2-butoxyethanol acetate, many factors determine whether
you'll be harmed. These factors include the dose (how
much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact
with it. You must also consider the other chemicals
you're exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits,
lifestyle, and state of health.
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1.1
What are 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate? |
2-Butoxyethanol (bu-tox-zi-eth-an-ol)
has many names, including ethylene glycol monobutyl ether,
ethylene glycol butyl ether, ethylene glycol n-butyl
ether, Butyl Cellosolve, butyl glycol, butyl Oxitol, glycol
butyl ether, Dowanol EB, Gafcol EB, Poly-solv EB, and Ektasolve
EB. Common abbreviations for 2-butoxyethanol include
BE and EGBE. It is a clear, colorless liquid that smells
somewhat like ether. Most people can begin to smell
2-butoxyethanol in air at 0.10–0.40 parts of 2-butoxyethanol
per million parts of air (ppm). These levels are about
500 times lower than the present standard for worker exposure.
2-Butoxyethanol has been found in air, water, and soil as
a contaminant. It is completely soluble in water and
in most organic solvents. This means that when 2-butoxyethanol
and water or 2-butoxyethanol and organic solvents are mixed,
the mixtures form one layer, unlike mixing oil and water which
separate into two layers. 2-Butoxyethanol is a fire
hazard when exposed to heat, sparks, or open flames.
2-Butoxyethanol in the environment comes
from some industrial activities. It is usually produced
by a reaction of ethylene oxide with butyl alcohol, but it
may also be made by the reaction of ethylene glycol with dibutyl
sulfate. 2-Butoxyethanol is widely used as a solvent
in protective surface coatings such as spray lacquers, quick-dry
lacquers, enamels, varnishes, and latex paints. It is
also used as an ingredient in paint thinners and strippers,
varnish removers, agricultural chemicals, herbicides, silicon
caulks, cutting oils, and hydraulic fluids. It has other
uses in metal cleaners, fabric dyes and inks, industrial and
household cleaners (as a degreaser), and dry-cleaning compounds.
It is also used in liquid soaps and in cosmetics.
The acetate (ass-e-tate) form of this
chemical is 2-butoxyethanol acetate. It is also known
as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, butoxyethyl acetate,
butyl glycol acetate, ethylene glycol butyl ether acetate,
acetic acid 2-butoxyethyl ester, glycol monobutyl ether acetate,
Butyl Cellosolve acetate, or Ektasolve EB acetate. Common
abbreviations for 2-butoxyethanol acetate include BEA and
EGBEA. 2-Butoxyethanol acetate has been found in air,
water, and soil as a contaminant. It is a colorless
liquid with a fruity odor. Most people can begin to
smell 2-butoxyethanol acetate in air at 0.10–0.48 ppm.
It is only moderately soluble in water but is soluble in most
organic solvents. This means that when 2-butoxyethanol
acetate and water or 2-butoxyethanol and organic solvents
are mixed, the mixtures form one layer, unlike mixing oil
and water which separate into two layers. 2-Butoxyethanol
acetate is a fire hazard when exposed to heat, sparks, flames,
or oxidizers.
2-Butoxyethanol acetate in the environment
also comes from some industrial activities. It is prepared
by reacting 2-butoxyethanol with acetic acid, acetic acid
anhydride, or acetic acid chloride. 2-Butoxyethanol
acetate is widely used as a slow-evaporating solvent for lacquers,
varnishes, epoxy resins, and enamels. It is also used
in polyvinyl acetate latex, and it may be used in some ink
and spot remover formulations.
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1.2
What happens to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate
when they enter the environment? |
2-Butoxyethanol may be released into
the environment at places where it is produced or used as
a solvent. Solvent-based household cleaners or building
materials such as varnishes, lacquers, latex paints, and enamels
may release 2-butoxyethanol into the air as they dry.
Municipal landfills and hazardous waste sites can also release
2-butoxyethanol to water that is under the ground.
2-Butoxyethanol can pass into air from
water and soil. In the atmosphere, 2-butoxyethanol probably
exists almost entirely as a vapor. Once in the air,
2-butoxyethanol may be removed by precipitation (rain, snow,
ice) or may break down to other compounds within a few days.
2-Butoxyethanol breaks down more slowly in water and soil
than it does in air. It can move out of contaminated
soil and move into groundwater. 2-Butoxyethanol does
not build up in plants and animals.
2-Butoxyethanol acetate can pass into
air from water and soil. It is directly released to
the atmosphere by evaporation while it is being used as a
solvent in paints, lacquers, thinners, inks, ink and spot
removers, and resins. 2-Butoxyethanol acetate probably
exists almost entirely as a vapor in outdoor air. It
can be removed from the air by precipitation because it is
moderately soluble in water. In air, 2-butoxyethanol
acetate may also break down to other compounds within a few
days. 2-Butoxyethanol acetate breaks down more slowly
in water and soil than it does in air. It can move out
of contaminated soil and move into groundwater. 2-Butoxyethanol
acetate does not build up in plants and animals.
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1.3
How might I be exposed to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate? |
Many people are exposed to small amounts
of 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate every day.
You can be exposed to these chemicals in the environment,
in the workplace, and at home. Higher exposures usually
occur in the workplace rather than in the environment or at
home. The general population is exposed to 2-butoxyethanol
and 2-butoxyethanol acetate mainly by breathing air or having
skin contact with liquids, particularly household cleaners,
that contain these compounds.
You are less likely to be exposed by
eating or drinking something that contains 2-butoxyethanol.
The Food and Drug Administration has regulations to control
its presence as a food contaminant. However, some drinking
water supplies have been shown to contain 2-butoxyethanol.
Some people have been poisoned by accidentally
or intentionally drinking consumer products such as all-purpose
liquid cleaners containing 2-butoxyethanol. Some people
who work in silk-screening, printing, furniture production
and finishing, asbestos-mastic removal, and housekeeping occupations
that use materials containing 2-butoxyethanol have been exposed
to this chemical. People who work in spray-painting
operations, chemical production facilities, automobile repair
shops, automobile manufacturing facilities, construction sites,
and areas that have recently been remodeled using products
that contain 2-butoxyethanol may also be exposed to this compound.
You are most likely to be exposed to
2-butoxyethanol acetate by inhaling the vapors and by skin
contact with liquid and vapors. Industrial exposures
are most likely through inhalation of vapors, although excessive
contact with eyes and skin may also occur. 2-Butoxyethanol
acetate is used as a solvent in latex paints, lacquers, epoxy
resins, thinners, inks, stains, and varnishes, and in ink
and spot removers. People who use these products at
work or at home can be exposed by inhaling the vapors or by
skin or eye contact. Exposure only occurs while these
products are being used or while they are drying.
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1.4
How can 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate enter and
leave my body? |
2-Butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate
can enter your body through your lungs when you breathe them.
They can also enter your body through your stomach and intestines
when you eat food or drink water that contains either one.
They can enter your body through skin contact with liquid
products such as paints, varnishes, ink and spot removers,
and household cleaners. If your skin comes in contact
with vapors of these compounds in the air, some can also enter
your body through your skin. The amount of vapor that
enters through your skin is much less than the amount that
enters through your lungs, especially if most of your skin
is covered by clothing.
When you are exposed to high levels of
2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate in air, some of
the compound you breathe in leaves your body when you breathe
out. The remainder passes through the lining of your
lungs and enters your bloodstream. Both can also enter
your bloodstream from your intestines if you swallow them.
They can enter your bloodstream through your skin if your
skin comes into contact with cleaning products containing
them or with the vapors in the air. The amount of vapor
that enters through your skin is much less than the amount
that enters through your lungs, especially if most of your
skin is covered by clothing. Once in your bloodstream,
2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate travel through
your body to many organs and tissues, but they don't stay
there very long. 2-Butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate are converted to products, called metabolites, in
the liver. Scientists think that some of the effects
of exposure to these chemicals are caused by metabolites.
Most of the metabolites of 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate leave the body in the urine within 24–48 hours after
exposure. Smaller amounts of metabolites leave the body
in exhaled air and in the feces.
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1.5
How can 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate affect my
health? |
After exposure to 2-butoxyethanol or
2-butoxyethanol acetate, several factors determine whether
harmful health effects will occur and, if they do, what the
type and severity of these health effects might be.
These factors include the amount of 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol
acetate to which you are exposed and the length of time of
the exposure. Other factors that must be considered
include the other chemicals you're exposed to and your age,
sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.
Some information about potential effects
on people comes from an experiment in which men and women
were exposed continuously to about 100 ppm or more of 2-butoxyethanol
vapors in air for 4 or 8 hours. This level is twice
as high as the occupational standard for 2-butoxyethanol.
Some of these people reported irritation of the nose and eyes,
headache, a metallic taste, or vomiting. None of these
people had effects on blood pressure or pulse. In another
experiment, people were exposed to 20 ppm of 2-butoxyethanol
vapors in air for 2 hours. Lung tests (pulmonary function)
and heart tests (heart rate and electrocardiogram) showed
no harmful effects for any of these people. Exposure
to these solvents in the workplace involves both breathing
in of vapors and skin contact with the liquids and vapors.
Workers are usually exposed to much higher levels than the
levels normally encountered by the general population.
Some information on harmful effects also
comes from case reports of people who swallowed large amounts
of cleaning agents containing 2-butoxyethanol. These
harmful effects included breathing problems, low blood pressure,
lowered levels of hemoglobin (the substance in the blood that
carries oxygen to organs of the body), blood in the urine,
and metabolic acidosis (high levels of acid in the body).
The lowered levels of hemoglobin and blood in the urine indicate
effects related to hemolysis, which involves destruction of
red blood cells that results in the release of hemoglobin.
Some of these people fell into a coma but recovered after
successful treatment in hospitals. People should keep
household products containing 2-butoxyethanol out of the reach
of children.
There are no data on whether 2-butoxyethanol
or 2-butoxyethanol acetate cause reproductive effects, birth
defects, or cancer in people.
To protect the public from the harmful
effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people
who have been harmed, scientists use many tests.
One way to see if a chemical will hurt
people is to learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and
released by the body; for some chemicals, animal testing may
be necessary. Animal testing may also be used to identify
health effects such as cancer or birth defects. Without
laboratory animals, scientists would lose a basic method to
get information needed to make wise decisions to protect public
health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat
research animals with care and compassion. Laws today
protect the welfare of research animals, and scientists must
comply with strict animal care guidelines.
Other information on the harmful effects
of 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate comes from
animal testing. The harmful effect most often reported
in animals exposed to 2-butoxyethanol is destruction of red
blood cells that results in the release of hemoglobin, which
is known as hemolysis. Effects related to hemolysis
include increased hemoglobin levels in the urine, blood in
the urine, and the build-up of hemoglobin and destroyed red
blood cells in organs such as the kidney, spleen, and liver.
These effects have been found in monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits,
and dogs after exposure to high levels of 2-butoxyethanol
in air for short and intermediate periods. These effects
have also been found in rats and mice that swallowed high
doses of 2-butoxyethanol for short and intermediate periods,
and in rats and rabbits with skin contact for short periods.
2-Butoxyethanol acetate also caused these effects in rats
or rabbits that breathed, swallowed, or had skin contact with
2-butoxyethanol acetate. Some studies showed that the
red blood cells of animals (rats, rabbits, and baboons) are
much more likely to be destroyed than the red blood cells
of people after exposure to 2-butoxyethanol.
Other harmful effects of 2-butoxyethanol
have been seen in animals. Breathing problems occurred
in rats and mice that breathed or swallowed large amounts
of 2-butoxyethanol for short periods. Bloody or reddened
stomach or intestines, probably related to hemolysis, were
seen in rats that swallowed very high doses of 2-butoxyethanol
and in rabbits that had skin contact with very large amounts.
Harmful effects on the liver and kidney were seen in some
animals and may be related to hemolysis. 2-Butoxyethanol
is also irritating to the skin and eyes of animals, as it
is in people.
2-Butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate
do not seem to have effects on the immune system of animals.
Like many solvents, 2-butoxyethanol causes nervous system
effects in animals. Some rats, dogs, and rabbits developed
physical weakness and unsteadiness after exposure to very
high levels of 2-butoxyethanol in air for short periods.
Some rats and mice also became sluggish, drowsy, or prostrate
after swallowing very large doses of 2-butoxyethanol for short
periods. Some rabbits also became inactive or prostrate,
had abnormal eye movement, or had convulsions after skin contact
with very large amounts of 2-butoxyethanol.
2-Butoxyethanol can cause reproductive
effects and birth defects in animals. Some female rats
and rabbits that breathed in large amounts of 2-butoxyethanol
while they were pregnant delivered fewer offspring than pregnant
rats or rabbits that were not exposed. Some of the offspring
had underdeveloped bones. Other reproductive effects
and birth defects in animals have only been observed at doses
that were toxic to the adult animals. Some female rats
had changes in their estrous cycles after drinking water containing
2-butoxyethanol for moderate periods of time. Some female
rats and mice had vaginal bleeding and fewer offspring after
swallowing large doses of 2-butoxyethanol while they were
pregnant. Some of the offspring of pregnant mice that
swallowed very large doses had cleft palates. Some offspring
of pregnant mice that swallowed large doses of 2-butoxyethanol
also weighed less.
2-Butoxyethanol does not seem to cause
mutations. No studies were found that tested either
2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate for causing cancer
in animals.
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1.6
Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed
to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate? |
Some tests can show whether you have
been exposed to 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate.
2-Butoxyethanol (from 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol acetate
exposure) can be measured in blood and urine. In the
body, both are converted to products called metabolites, such
as 2-butoxyacetic acid. Certain metabolites of 2-butoxyethanol
(2-butoxyacetic acid and others) can be measured in the urine.
These tests will not necessarily be able to tell how much
you have been exposed to. These tests need to be done
within a day after exposure because 2-butoxyethanol and its
metabolites leave your body within 24–48 hours. Certain
blood tests can determine if your red blood cells are damaged,
but this effect is not specific for 2-butoxyethanol.
Some of these tests may be available at your doctor's office,
or your doctor can send blood or urine samples to laboratories
that specialize in performing these tests. If workers
are exposed to concentrations of 5 ppm or above, the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that
the level of 2-butoxyacetic acid in the urine be measured.
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1.7
What recommendations has the federal government made to protect
human health? |
The federal government develops regulations
and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations
can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop
regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to
protect public health but cannot be enforced by law.
Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic
substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR) and the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Regulations and recommendations can be
expressed in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or
food that are usually based on levels that affect animals;
then they are adjusted to help protect people. Sometimes
these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations
because of different exposure times (an 8-hour workday or
a 24-hour day), the use of different animal studies, or other
factors.
Recommendations and regulations are also
periodically updated as more information becomes available.
For the most current information, check with the federal agency
or organization that provides it. Some regulations and
recommendations for 2-butoxyethanol include the following:
OSHA requires employers of workers who
are occupationally exposed to 2-butoxyethanol to institute
engineering controls and work practices to reduce and maintain
employee exposure at or below the permissible exposure limit
(PEL). The PEL for 2-butoxyethanol is 50 ppm.
This regulation means that the workroom air should not contain
no more than an average of 50 ppm of 2-butoxyethanol over
an 8-hour working shift of a 40-hour work week. The
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
(ACGIH) has recommended an average concentration limit value
of 25 ppm for occupational exposure (8-hour workday and a
40-hour workweek) to 2-butoxyethanol. The recommended
exposure limit (REL) for occupational exposure by NIOSH is
5 ppm for both 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate.
This recommendation means that the workroom air should contain
no more than an average of 5 ppm of 2-butoxyethanol or 2-butoxyethanol
acetate for up to a 10-hour working shift of a 40 hour workweek.
OSHA recommends that workers who may be exposed to 2-butoxyethanol
should wear personal protective equipment such as gloves,
coveralls, and goggles to protect against exposure to the
skin and eyes.
Both 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol
acetate are regulated under the Clean Air Act, including the
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
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1.8 Where can I get more information? |
If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact
your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Information line and technical assistance:
Phone: 888-422-8737
FAX: (770)-488-4178
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health
clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
To order toxicological profiles, contact:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1998. Toxicological
profile for 2-butoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol acetate.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
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