Quinone (p-Benzoquinone)
Hazard Summary-Created in April 1992; Revised in January 2000
-
Occupational exposure to quinone may occur in the dye, textile, chemical,
tanning, and cosmetic industries. Acute (short-term) exposure to
high levels of quinone, via inhalation in humans, results in irritation
of the eyes, consisting of discoloration of the conjunctiva and cornea,
and causes dermatitis from dermal exposure. Chronic (long-term)
inhalation exposure to quinone in humans may result in visual disturbances,
and chronic dermal contact causes skin ulceration. No information
is available on the reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects
of quinone in humans. The results of available animal studies are
insufficient to evaluate the carcinogenicity of quinone. EPA has
not evaluated quinone for carcinogenicity.
Uses
- Quinone is used as a chemical intermediate, a polymerization inhibitor, an oxidizing agent, a photographic chemical, a tanning agent, and a chemical reagent. (5)
Sources and Potential Exposure
- Occupational exposure to quinone may occur in the dye, textile, chemical, tanning, and cosmetic industries. (1)
- Inhalation exposure to quinone may occur from tobacco smoke. (2)
Assessing Personal Exposure
- No information is available on the assessment of personal exposure to quinone.
Health Hazard Information
Acute Effects:- Acute exposure to high levels of quinone, via inhalation in humans, is highly irritating to the eyes, resulting in discoloration of the conjunctiva and cornea, while dermal exposure causes dermatitis with skin discoloration and erythema. (1,2,5)
- Animal studies have reported effects on the kidneys from exposure to quinone. (2)
- Tests involving acute exposure of rats have shown quinone to have high acute toxicity from oral exposure. (3)
- Chronic dermal contact to quinone in humans may result in skin ulceration, while chronic inhalation exposure may result in visual disturbances. (1,2)
- EPA has not established a Reference Concentration (RfC) or Reference Dose (RfD) for quinone. (4)
- No information is available on the reproductive or developmental effects of quinone in humans or animals.
- No information is available on the carcinogenic effects of quinone in humans.
- Quinone has been tested (in older animal studies) by dermal application, inhalation, and subcutaneous injection. However, the results are insufficient to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the compound. (5)
- EPA has not classified quinone for carcinogenicity. (4)
- IARC has classified quinone as a Group 3, not classifiable as to the carcinogenicity to humans. (5)
Physical Properties
- Quinone exists as yellow prisms, with a penetrating odor resembling that of chlorine. (5)
- The odor threshold for quinone is 0.084 parts per million (ppm). (6)
- The chemical formula for quinone is C6H4O2, and the molecular weight is 108.1 g/mol. (1)
- The log octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) for quinone is 0.20. (2)
Conversion Factors:
To convert concentrations in air (at 25 °C) from ppm to mg/m3: mg/m3 = (ppm) × (molecular weight of the compound)/(24.45). For quinone: 1 ppm = 4.42 mg/m3.
Health Data from Inhalation Exposure
ACGIH TLV--American Conference of Governmental and Industrial
Hygienists' threshold limit value expressed as a time-weighted average;
the concentration of a substance to which most workers can be exposed
without adverse effects.
NIOSH REL--National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's
recommended exposure limit; NIOSH-recommended exposure limit for an 8-
or 10-h time-weighted-average exposure and/or ceiling.
NIOSH IDLH -- NIOSH's immediately dangerous to life or health concentration;
NIOSH recommended exposure limit to ensure that a worker can escape from
an exposure condition that is likely to cause death or immediate or delayed
permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from the environment.
OSHA PEL--Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible
exposure limit expressed as a time-weighted average; the concentration
of a substance to which most workers can be exposed without adverse effect
averaged over a normal 8-h workday or a 40-h workweek.
The health and regulatory values cited in this factsheet were obtained
in December 1999.
a Health numbers are toxicological numbers
from animal testing or risk assessment values developed by EPA.
b Regulatory numbers are values that have been
incorporated in Government regulations, while advisory numbers are nonregulatory
values provided by the Government or other groups as advice. OSHA numbers
are regulatory, whereas NIOSH and ACGIH numbers are advisory.
References
- M. Sittig. Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens. 2nd ed. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ. 1985.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB, online database). National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS, online database). National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) on Quinone. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC. 1999.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Man. Volume 15. World Health Organization, Lyon. 1977.
- J.E. Amoore and E. Hautala. Odor as an aid to chemical safety: Odor thresholds compared with threshold limit values and volatilities for 214 industrial chemicals in air and water dilution. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 3(6):272-290. 1983.
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). 1999 TLVs and BEIs. Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents. Biological Exposure Indices. Cincinnati, OH. 1999.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cincinnati, OH. 1997.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Toxic and Hazardous Substances. Code of Federal Regulations 29 CFR 1910.1000. 1998.