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Preliminary Release Report For The Proposed Deletion of Methyl Ethyl Ketone From the

EPCRA Section 313 List of Toxic Chemical s

Franklyn Hall

Chemical Engineering Branch

Economics, Exposure, and Technology Division

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

January 23, 1997

63980000357
p. 2

Preliminary Release Report

Introduction

The Methyl Ethyl Ketone releases of the 1994 Toxic Release Inventory have been

analyzed to support the decision making process associated with the Proposal to Delist Methyl

Ethyl Ketone from the TRI and exclude it from reporting requirements under Section 313 of the

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to Know Act . This report contains background

information regarding MEK processing and use in addition to analysis of the actual releases.

Background

Methyl Ethyl Ketone is a low molecular weight liquid(@25'C) with a boiling point of

79.6'C ad a vapor pressure (@25'C) of 98 mm Hg. MEK's considerable vapor pressure as well

as its high miscibility with a wide variety of chemical substances make it an ideal candidate for

solvent-type applications .

Approximately 75% of MEK's use is as an aid in various types of substance deposition (ie,

coating-type applications). The primary function of MEK in these types of applications is to mix

with the desired coating substance, coat the substrate with the mixture, and then evaporate

leaving only the desired coating substance on the substrate . Some typical coating substances used

in this type of application are paints and lacquers.

MEK is also widely used to dissolve and remove other chemical compounds such as in the

dewaxing of lube oil in petroleum refining. In the case of solvent based adhesives (e .g., rubber

cement) MEK can be used in various concentrations to alter the viscosity or film thickness of an

adhesive coating.

The functionality of MEK, in the majority of its uses, is based primarily on its high

volatility and miscibility .

Releases

Five industry sectors (2 digit SIC code) contribute 75% of the reporting facilities for

1994. These industries are : Chemicals and Allied Products, Fabricated Metal Products, Rubber

and Miscellaneous Plastics, Transportation Equipment, and Furniture and Fixtures . Only five

facilities report releases over 1,000,000 lbs/yr. While 1056 facilities report releases of less than

10,000 lb/yr. Table I below is a frequency distribution of the 1994 reporting facilities and their

respective 2 digit SIC code industry sector. Table 2 contains the frequency distribution of

reporting facilities and release volume.
p. 3

Table I

Number of 2 DigitSIC SIC Description % of Total Reporting

Reporting Code Facilities*

Facilities "

546 2800 Chen-ticals and Allied Products 22 .8

321 3400 Fabricated Metal Products 13.4

268 3000 Rubber and Miscellaneous Plastics 11 .2

263 3700 Transportation Equipment I I

209 2500 Furniture & Fixtures 8.74

142 2600 Paper & Allied Products 5.94

88 2400 Lumber & Wood Except Furniture 3 .68

78 3600 Electric & Other Electrical Equipment 3 .26

65 3500 Industrial & Commercial Machinery 2.72

62 3900 Miscellaneous 2.59

60 3300 Primary Metal Industries 2.51

54 2700 Printing, Publishing, Etc . 2.26

43 2200 Textile Mill Products 1 .8

42 3200 Stone, Clay, Glass, & Concrete 1 .76

35 3800 Measuring, Analyzing, Controlling 1 .46

Instrument s

27 2900 Petroleum Refining & Related Industries 1 .13

24 9700 National Security &International Affairs I

23 3100 Leather & Leather Products 0.962

10 2300 Apparel 0.418

8 5100 Wholesale Trade & Durable Goods 0.335

3 4900 Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services 0.126

3 7600 Miscellaneous Repair 0.126

2 2000 Food & Kindred Products 0.084

2 8700 Engineering, Accounting, and Related 0 .084

Services

1 7500 Automotive Repair, Services, Parking 0 .042

1 1700 Construction 0.042

1 7300 Business Services 0.042

1 5200 Building Materials 0.042

1 4400 Water Transportation 0.042

1 2100 Tobacco Products 0.042

1 9900 Non-Classifiable Establishments 0.042

Total may not equal 100% due to rounding error.

2389 Facilities Reporting(4 TRI Facilities did not have SIC code with TRI data)

Table 2

Release Volume Range (lbs/yr) Number of Facilities

0 to 9,999 1056

3
p. 4

10,000 to 19,999 521

20,000 to 29,999 261

30,000 to 39,999 129

40,000 to 49,999 109

50,000 to 59,999 53

60,000 to 69,999 37

70,000 to 79,999 36

80,000 to 89,999 21

90,000 to 99,999 15

100,000 to 999,999 146

Greater than 1,000,000 5

Reference

1 . 198 7-1994 Toxic Release Inventory: CD Rom Quick Reference Guide . U.S . Environmental

Protection Agency, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. August 1996

2. Kirk and Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical TechnoloSy . Volume 13 . pp 903-907 . Wiley 1981