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| CONTENTS1.1 What is 2-butanone?1.2 How might I be exposed to 2-butanone?1.3 How can 2-butanone enter and leave             my body?1.4 How can 2-butanone affect my health?1.5 Is there a medical test to determine             whether I have been exposed to 2-butanone?1.6 What recommendations has the federal             government made to protect human health?1.7 Where can I get more information?ReferencesRELATED RESOURCESToxFAQ™*63k*ToxFAQ™             en Español*29k*Public Health Statement *174k*Toxicological Profile*2.1MB*A-Z INDEXA�B�CD�E�FG�H�IJ�KLM�N�OP        Q�R�ST�U�VW�X�Y�ZATSDR RESOURCESToxFAQs™ToxFAQs™ en EspañolPublic Health StatementsToxicological ProfilesMinimum Risk LevelsMMGsMHMIsInteraction ProfilesPriority List of Hazardous SubstancesDivision of Toxicology                                 |  |  | July 1992Public Health Statementfor2-Butanone CAS#78-93-3
**This Public Health Statement is the                     summary chapter from the Toxicological                     Profile for 2-butanone. 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.**
 
This Statement was prepared to give you information about                     2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone) and to emphasize the human                     health effects that may result from exposure to it. The Environmental                     Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 1,177 sites on its                     National Priorities List (NPL). 2-Butanone has been found                     at 137 of these sites. However, we do not know how many of                     the 1,177 NPL sites have been evaluated for 2-butanone. As                     EPA evaluates more sites, the number of sites at which 2-butanone                     is found may change. The information is important for you                     because 2-butanone may cause harmful health effects and because                     these sites are potential or actual sources of human exposure                     to 2-butanone. 

When a chemical 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 as a chemical emission. This emission,                     which is also called a release, does not always lead to exposure.                     You are exposed to a chemical only when you come into contact                     with the chemical. You may be exposed to it in the environment                     by breathing, eating, or drinking substances containing the                     chemical or from skin contact with it.                   
If you are exposed to a hazardous substance such as 2-butanone,                     several factors will determine whether harmful health effects                     will occur and what the type and severity of those health                     effects will be. These factors include the dose (how much),                     the duration (how long), the route or pathway by which you                     are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact),                     the other chemicals to which you are exposed, and your individual                     characteristics such as age, sex, nutritional status, family                     traits, life style, and state of health. 
 1.1                   What is 2-butanone?
2-Butanone, also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), is a                     colorless liquid with a sweet, but sharp odor. 2-Butanone                     is manufactured in large amounts for use in paints, glues,                     and other finishes because it rapidly evaporates and will                     dissolve many substances. It will quickly evaporate into the                     air. 2-Butanone is often found dissolved in water or as a                     gas in the air. 2-Butanone is also a natural product made                     by some trees and is found in some fruits and vegetables.                     The exhausts of cars and trucks release 2-butanone into the                     air. 2-Butanone is usually found in the air, water, and soil                     of landfills and hazardous waste sites. 

In water, 2-butanone can be changed to a more simple chemical                     form by natural biological processes and will be broken down                     in about 2 weeks. It will not be deposited in the sediment                     of rivers or lakes, and it is not expected to concentrate                     in fish. In air, 2-butanone will break down under the influence                     of sunlight, although it does not react with sunlight directly.                     One-half of any given amount of 2-butanone in the air will                     break down in 1 day or less. It is not known if 2-butanone                     changes to a more simple form by natural biological processes                     in soil, but it is expected to do so because similar substances                     are broken down by these processes. 2-Butanone will not stick                     to soil, and if it is spilled onto soil, it will travel through                     the soil into underground water sources. Some of the 2-butanone                     found in soil or water will also evaporate to the air. 
back to top1.2                   How might I be exposed to 2-butanone?
2-Butanone can enter the environment in a number of different                     ways. It can enter the air or water from the waste of manufacturing                     plants. 2-Butanone is present in many different types of paints                     and glues used both in the home and in industry. As these                     products dry, 2-butanone will enter the air. 2-Butanone is                     also in air because it is released in the exhaust of cars                     and trucks. Some trees in the forest release 2-butanone to                     the air. 

We do not know the background levels of 2-butanone in air,                     water, or soil. We know that 2-butanone is found naturally                     in some foods. We know it is found at hazardous waste sites,                     and it is also found occasionally in drinking water and often                     in the air of cities. You may also be exposed to 2-butanone                     by smoking cigarettes. 

You may be exposed to higher levels of 2-butanone if you                     use glues or coatings containing it in a small enclosed area                     that does not have good air flow. People who use it at work                     have a good chance of being exposed to 2-butanone. 2-Butanone                     is used in such industries as shoe factories, printing plants,                     plastics factories, and sporting goods manufacturers. People                     who live near a toxic waste site where 2-butanone is kept                     may breathe it if it evaporates into the air, or drink it                     if it gets into the water supply, especially when the water                     supply comes from wells. 
back to top1.3                   How can 2-butanone enter and leave my body?
2-Butanone can enter your body if you                     breathe air that contains it, through your skin if it touches                     you, or through your mouth if you eat food or drink water                     that has 2-butanone in it. Studies have shown that, if there                     is 2-butanone in the air you breathe, at least half of what                     you breathe in will enter your body. The other half will leave                     in the air you breathe out. We do not know how much 2-butanone                     will stay in your body if you drink it or if it touches your                     skin. The amount of 2-butanone that actually enters your body                     depends on how much is in the air you breathe, how much is                     in your food or water, or how much gets on your skin. The                     amount of 2-butanone that enters your body also depends on                     how long you breathe it or how long it is on your skin before                     you wash it off. Your body gets rid of 2-butanone in urine                     and in the air you breathe out. 2-Butanone is not a chemical                     that stays in your body for very long; it will be gone by                     the next day. 
back to top1.4                   How can 2-butanone affect my health?
Some people who breathed air that contained 2-butanone first                     noticed its sweet, sharp odor at a concentration of 5-8 parts                     of 2-butanone per million parts of air (5-8 ppm). The main                     health effects that have been seen in humans who breathed                     higher concentrations of 2-butanone are mild irritation of                     the nose, throat, eyes, and skin. 

Serious health effects in animals have been seen only at                     very high concentrations of 2-butanone. These high concentrations                     are not expected in the usual use of 2-butanone or in the                     vicinity of hazardous waste sites. Studies in animals have                     shown that 2-butanone does not cause serious damage to the                     nervous system or the liver, but mice that breathed low levels                     for a short time had temporary behavioral effects. 2-Butanone                     alone does not have serious effects on the liver or nervous                     system, but it can cause other chemicals to become more harmful                     to these systems. 

Guinea pigs, rats, and mice that breathed                     high levels of 2-butanone for a short time became unconscious                     and died. Pregnant rats and mice that breathed air containing                     high levels of 2-butanone had underdeveloped fetuses. The                     rats that swallowed very high concentrations of 2-butanone                     in water also developed signs of nervous system effects such                     as inactivity, drooping eye lids, and uncoordinated muscle                     movement. Some rats and mice that swallowed water containing                     high concentrations of 2-butanone died. Rats that received                     water containing a lower concentration of 2-butanone had mild                     kidney damage. Skin irritation developed in rabbits and guinea                     pigs that had small amounts of 2-butanone dropped on their                     skin. Rabbits that had small amounts of 2-butanone dropped                     in their eyes had serious eye irritation. We do not know whether                     2-butanone causes birth defects or affects reproduction in                     humans. Reproductive effects were not seen in animals exposed                     to 2-butanone. We have no information about whether 2-butanone                     causes cancer in humans or animals. 
back to top1.5                   Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed                   to 2-butanone?
No specific medical test is available                     to determine whether you have been exposed to 2-butanone.                     Studies in humans and animals have shown that it is possible                     to detect 2-butanone or its breakdown products in the blood,                     breath, and urine. The levels of 2-butanone found in the blood,                     breath, and urine are usually associated with the levels of                     exposure found in the workplace, but this is more useful for                     determining exposure of groups of people rather than individuals.                     Tests for 2-butanone in blood, urine, or breath are useful                     only for recent exposure because 2-butanone and its breakdown                     products leave the body rapidly. 
back to top1.6                   What recommendations has the federal government made to protect                   human health?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration                     (OSHA) has set an occupational exposure limit of 200 ppm of                     2-butanone in the air. The National Institute for Occupational                     Safety and Health (NIOSH) has also recommended 200 ppm of                     2-butanone as the limit for up to a 10-hour work shift in                     a 40-hour workweek. Because of its odor, you can smell 2-butanone                     before it harms you. 
back to top1.7                   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 back to topReferences
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease                     Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological                     profile for 2-butanone. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of                     Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.  
back to top
 

ATSDR Information Center / [email protected] /  1-888-422-8737This page was updated on  August , 2008

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