OPPT Chemical Fact Sheet                                 EPA 749-F-94-004

      CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT: ACETONITRILE (CAS NO. 75-05-8)
                         prepared by
          OFFICE OF POLLUTION PREVENTION AND TOXICS
            U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                         August 1994

__________________________________________________________________________

Chemicals can be released to the environment as a result of their
manufacture, processing, and use.  EPA has developed information
summaries on selected chemicals to describe how you might be exposed to
these chemicals, how exposure to them might affect you and the
environment, what happens to them in the environment, who regulates
them, and whom to contact for additional information.  EPA is committed
to reducing environmental releases of chemicals through source reduction
and other practices that reduce creation of pollutants.
___________________________________________________________________________

WHAT IS ACETONITRILE, HOW IS IT USED, AND HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED?

     Acetonitrile (also called methyl cyanide) is a colorless,
flammable liquid.  It occurs naturally in coal tar and cigarette smoke. 
It is produced in large amounts (32 million pounds in 1992) by four
companies in the United States.  US demand for acetonitrile is likely to
follow trends of general growth of the US economy.  The largest users of
acetonitrile are companies that use the chemical to extract inorganic
and organic chemicals.  It is used mainly to extract butadiene. 
Companies also use acetonitrile to make pesticides.   

     Exposure to acetonitrile can occur in the workplace or in the
environment following releases to air, water, land, or groundwater. 
Exposure can also occur when people smoke cigarettes.  Acetonitrile
enters the body when breathed in with contaminated air or when consumed
with contaminated food or water.  It can also be absorbed through skin
contact.  It does not remain in the body due to its breakdown and
removal in expired air or urine.


WHAT HAPPENS TO ACETONITRILE IN THE ENVIRONMENT?

     Acetonitrile evaporates when exposed to air.  It dissolves
completely when mixed with water.  Most direct releases of acetonitrile
to the environment are to underground sites or to air.  It also evaporates 
from water and soil exposed to air.  Once in air, acetonitrile breaks down 
to other chemicals.  Microorganisms that live in water and in soil can also 
break down acetonitrile.  Because it is a liquid that does not bind well 
to soil, acetonitrile that makes its way into the ground can move through 
the ground and enter groundwater.  Plants and animals are not likely to 
store acetonitrile.


HOW DOES ACETONITRILE AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT?

     Effects of acetonitrile on human health and the environment depend
on the amount of acetonitrile present and the length and frequency of
exposure.  Effects also depend on the health of a person or the
condition of the environment when exposure occurs.

     Breathing large amounts of acetonitrile for short periods of time
adversely affects the human nervous system, respiratory system, and
circulatory system.  Effects range from abnormal salivation, vomiting,
confusion, and rapid breathing and heart rate to coma and death. 
Symptoms of acetonitrile poisoning can occur quickly after exposure but
often occur after levels of breakdown products like cyanide build up in
the body.  Direct contact with acetonitrile liquid or vapor irritates
the skin, the eyes, the nose, and the throat.  These effects are not
likely to occur at levels of acetonitrile that are normally found in the
environment.

     Human health effects associated with breathing or otherwise
consuming smaller amounts of acetonitrile over long periods of time are
not known.  Laboratory studies show that repeat exposure to acetonitrile
can adversely affect the blood as well as the nervous system, the lungs,
the liver, and the thymus of animals.  Evidence from animal studies also
show that acetonitrile can adversely affect the developing fetus.

     Acetonitrile by itself is not likely to cause environmental harm
at levels normally found in the environment.  Acetonitrile can
contribute to the formation of photochemical smog when it reacts with
other volatile organic carbon substances in air.


WHAT EPA PROGRAM OFFICES REGULATE ACETONITRILE, AND UNDER WHAT LAWS IS
IT REGULATED?
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  EPA OFFICE            LAW                                PHONE NUMBER
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  Pollution Prevention  Toxic Substances Control Act       (202) 554-1404
   & Toxics             Emergency Planning and Community
                          Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
                          Regulations (Sec. 313)           (800) 424-9346
                          Toxics Release Inventory data    (202) 260-1531
  Air                   Clean Air Act                      (919) 541-0888
  Solid Waste &         Comprehensive Environmental
   Emergency Response    Response, Compensation, and
                         Liability Act (Superfund)/
                        Resource Conservation and Recovery
                         Act / EPCRA (Sec. 304/311/312)    (800) 424-9346

A technical support document can be requested from the TSCA Assistance
Information Service, (202) 554-1404.


WHAT OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES OR GROUPS CAN I CONTACT FOR INFORMATION ON
ACETONITRILE?
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  AGENCY/GROUP                                              PHONE NUMBER
__________________________________________________________________________
  American Conference of Governmental Industrial
    Hygienists                                             (513) 742-2020
    National Institute for Occupational Safety
   and Health (NIOSH)                                      (800) 356-4674
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration
    (Check your local phone book under U.S. Department of Labor)