September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Acetone |
(Acetona) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about acetone. 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 acetone
results mostly from breathing air, drinking water, or
coming in contact with products or soil that contain acetone.
Exposure to moderate-to-high amounts of acetone can irritate
your eyes and respiratory system, and make you dizzy.
Very high exposure may cause you to lose consciousness.
This chemical has been found in at least 572 of 1,416
National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency. |
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What
is acetone? |
Acetone is a manufactured chemical that
is also found naturally in the environment. It is a colorless
liquid with a distinct smell and taste. It evaporates easily,
is flammable, and dissolves in water. It is also called dimethyl
ketone, 2-propanone, and beta-ketopropane.
Acetone is used to make plastic, fibers,
drugs, and other chemicals. It is also used to dissolve other
substances.
It occurs naturally in plants, trees,
volcanic gases, forest fires, and as a product of the breakdown
of body fat. It is present in vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke,
and landfill sites. Industrial processes contribute more acetone
to the environment than natural processes.
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What
happens to acetone when it enters the environment? |
- A large percentage (97%) of the acetone released during
its manufacture or use goes into the air.
- In air, about one-half of the total amount breaks down
from sunlight or other chemicals every 22 days.
- It moves from the atmosphere into the water and soil by
rain and snow. It also moves quickly from soil and water
back to air.
- Acetone doesn't bind to soil or build up in animals.
- It's broken down by microorganisms in soil and water.
- It can move into groundwater from spills or landfills.
- Acetone is broken down in water and soil, but the time
required for this to happen varies.
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How
might I be exposed to acetone? |
- Breathing low background levels in the environment.
- Breathing higher levels of contaminated air in the workplace
or from using products that contain acetone (for example,
household chemicals, nail polish, and paint).
- Drinking water or eating food containing acetone.
- Touching products containing acetone.
- For children, eating soil at landfills or hazardous waste
sites that contain acetone.
- Smoking or breathing secondhand smoke.
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How
can acetone affect my health? |
If you are exposed to acetone, it goes
into your blood which then carries it to all the organs in
your body. If it is a small amount, the liver breaks it down
to chemicals that are not harmful and uses these chemicals
to make energy for normal body functions. Breathing moderate-
to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time, however,
can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation; headaches;
light-headedness; confusion; increased pulse rate; effects
on blood; nausea; vomiting; unconsciousness and possibly coma;
and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.
Swallowing very high levels of acetone
can result in unconsciousness and damage to the skin in your
mouth. Skin contact can result in irritation and damage to
your skin.
The smell and respiratory irritation
or burning eyes that occur from moderate levels are excellent
warning signs that can help you avoid breathing damaging levels
of acetone.
Health effects from long-term exposures
are known mostly from animal studies. Kidney, liver, and nerve
damage, increased birth defects, and lowered ability to reproduce
(males only) occurred in animals exposed long-term. It is
not known if people would have these same effects.
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How
likely is acetone to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services,
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified acetone for carcinogenicity.
Acetone does not cause skin cancer in
animals when applied to the skin. We don't know if breathing
or swallowing acetone for long periods will cause cancer.
Studies of workers exposed to it found no significant risk
of death from cancer.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to acetone? |
Methods are available to measure the
amount of acetone in your breath, blood, and urine. The test
can tell you how much acetone you were exposed to, although
the amount that people have naturally in their bodies varies
with each person. The tests can't tell you if you will experience
any health effects from the exposure.
The test must be performed within 2-3
days after exposure because acetone leaves your body within
a few days. 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 EPA requires that spills of 5,000
pounds or more of acetone be reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a maximum concentration limit in workplace
air of 1,000 parts of acetone per million parts of air (1,000
ppm) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour week to protect
workers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends an exposure limit of 250 ppm in
workplace air for up to a 10-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into
your body.
Long-term: Lasting one year or longer.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1994. Toxicological Profile for acetone. 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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