September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
2-Hexanone |
(2-Hexanona) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about 2-hexanone. 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-hexanone
is most likely to occur from living near or working in
plants that make gas from coal, process oil shale, or
produce wood pulp. You may also be exposed if you live
near a hazardous waste site where 2-hexanone is found.
In people, exposure to hexanone is most likely to affect
the nervous system. This chemical has been found in at
least 199 of 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified
by the Environmental Protection Agency. |
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What
is 2-hexanone? |
2-Hexanone is also known as methyl n-butyl
ketone, MBK, or propyl acetone. It is a clear, colorless liquid
with a sharp odor. It dissolves very easily in water, and
can evaporate easily into the air as a vapor.
It was used in the past in paint and
paint thinner, to make other chemical substances, and to dissolve
oils and waxes.
It is no longer made or used in the United
States because it has harmful health effects. It is formed
as a waste product resulting from industrial activities such
as making wood pulp and producing gas from coal, and in oil
shale operations.
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What
happens to 2-hexanone when it enters the environment? |
- 2-Hexanone dissolves easily in water.
- It evaporates quickly into the air.
- It may be broken down into other chemicals in the atmosphere
or may be removed by rain or snow.
- 2-Hexanone may be broken down by microorganisms in water
and soil.
- It doesn't usually attach to soils or sediment.
- It doesn't usually build up in plants and animals.
- Half of the 2-hexanone in river water breaks down or evaporates
in about 10-15 days.
- In the air, half of the 2-hexanone breaks down in about
36 hours.
- It is not known how long it takes to break down in soil.
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How
might I be exposed to 2-hexanone? |
- Breathing contaminated air.
- Drinking contaminated water.
- Absorbing it through your skin if you touch liquid or
soil that contains it.
- Eating some foods that naturally contain low levels of
2-hexanone.
- Using products manufactured before 1982 that contain 2-hexanone
(such as paint thinners).
- Working in coal gasification, oil shale processing, or
wood pulping operations.
- Living near hazardous waste sites where it is found.
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How
can 2-hexanone affect my health? |
Breathing 2-hexanone can harm your nervous
system. Workers who were exposed to 2-hexanone in the air
for almost a year felt weakness, numbness, and tingling in
the skin of the hands and feet.
Similar effects were seen in different
animals that ate or breathed high levels of 2-hexanone.
In one study, pregnant rats that breathed
2-hexanone did not gain as much weight during their pregnancy,
had fewer babies, and had babies that were smaller and less
active than the rats that were not exposed.
We do not know if breathing 2-hexanone
affects human reproduction or causes birth defects.
We do not know whether touching or ingesting
2-hexanone would affect your health. Animal studies have shown
that ingesting high levels of 2-hexanone harms the nervous
system. Also, animals that ingested 2-hexanone experienced
decreased body weight and effects on reproduction.
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How
likely is 2-hexanone to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
has not classified 2-hexanone as to human carcinogenicity.
Also, the International Agency for Research
on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have
not classified 2-hexanone as to human carcinogenicity.
There is no information available on
the potential carcinogenic effects of 2-hexanone in people
or in experimental animals.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to 2-hexanone? |
Several tests are available to tell whether
you have been exposed to 2-hexanone. These tests can measure
the levels of 2-hexanone, or its breakdown products, in your
blood or urine. This test only tells you if you have been
exposed and cannot predict whether your health will be affected.
These tests are not routinely 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 Occupational Safety and Health Agency
(OSHA) has set a limit for exposure of workers to an average
level of 100 parts of 2-hexanone per million parts of air
(ppm) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends an exposure limit
of 5 ppm for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek in
workplace air.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers be exposed
to no more than an average of 1 ppm for up to a 10-hour workday
over a 40-hour workweek.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Gasification: Conversion of coal to gas.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into
your body.
ppm: Parts per million.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for 2-hexanone. 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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