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September 198 5

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS PROFILE

FOR METHYL ETHYL KETONE

ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA AND ASSESSMENT OFFICE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMEN T

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

U .S . ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

CINCINNATI, OH 45268

63980000353
ethyl ketone in the ambient aquatic environment were not locatedP-An the

available literature as cited in the Appendix . Methyl ethyl-ketone,

however, can undergo significant direct photolysis in the atmosphere

(Section 2 .2 .) . This suggests that direct photolysis of methyl ethyl ketone

in water is possible . In addition, methyl ethyl ketone has been reported to

be an effective photosensitizer for the photolysis of various chlorinated

hydro- carbons (Augustyniak, 1978 ; Golub, 1971 ) . Methyl ethyl ketone has

been shown to undergo significant photolysis in cyclohexane solution

irradiated with 310 nm light (Somersall and Guillet, 1972) and in water and

various polar solvents that are subjected to 248 nm radiation (Encinas et

al ., 1980) .

2 .1 .4 . Microbial Degradation . A number of studies examined . the biodegradation of methyl ethyl ketone in laboratory tests using activated sludge,

sewage, or wastewater inocula as a source of microorganisms . These tests

predominantly indicate that methyl ethyl ketone Is r-eadily degraded by-these

microbes . Speece (1983) found that methyl ethyl ketone was biodegradable by

industrial anaerobic wastewater treatment technology . Using a filtered

wastewater seed, Bridie et al . (1979) measured a methyl ethyl ketone 5-day

BODT of 83% and COD of 95% . Dojlido (1979) used an activated sludge to

measure a 100% degradation of methyl ethyl ketone in 8 days at a concentration of 200 ppm and in 9 days at 400 ppm ; a 10% BODT was observed in 0 .5

days . The rate of methyl ethyl ketone biodegradation was found to increase

rapidly with the acclimitization of the microorganisms (Dojlido, 1977) . By

measuring gas production from the Hungate Serum Bottle Technique, Chou et

al . (1979) noted 100% methyl ethyl ketone anaerobic degradation with

enriched methane cultures . Dore et al . (1975) examined methyl ethyl ketone

degradation using a 5-day BOB test (AFNOR T 90/103) with inocula from three

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polluted surface waters and noted a 48% BOOT . Price et al . (1974) used a

f 1 1 tered sewage seed to study methyl ethyl ketone degradation in freshwater

and in saltwater . In freshwater, 5- and 20-day BODTs of 76 and 89%, .respectively, were obtained ., In saltwater, the 5- and 20-day BOOTs were 32 and

69% . respectively . Buzzell et al . (1968,1969) and Young et al . (1968) found

that methyl ethyl ketone readily degraded with sewage and activated sludge

in BOD tests . With a Warburg respirometer, Gerhold and Malaney (1966)

observed a 3 .1% BOOT (24 hours) in activated sludge . Gaudy et al . (1963)

found methyl ethyl ketone readily degradable in activated sludge, while

Heukelekian and Rand (1955) measured a 5-day BOOT of 88% in the sewage seed

test .

Methyl ethyl ketone degradation has been reported in pure culture

studies using microbes isolated from soils (Phillips and Perry, 1974 ; Perry,

1968 ; Eubanks, 1973) . Various species of the hydrocarbon-uti 11 zing Mycobacteria are able to grow on methyl ethyl ketone (Lukins and Foster, 1963) .

The bacterial species, Alcaligenes faecalis, however, which is isolated from

activated sludge, did not significantly degrade methyl ethyl ketone (Marion

and Malaney, 1963) .

Methyl ethyl ketone has been shown to be a metabolite formed during the

microbial oxidation of the corresponding alkane and secondary alkanol

(Lijmbach and Brinkhuis, 1973 ; Patel et al ., 1980, 1983 ; Hou et al . . 1979 ;

Lukins and Foster, 1963) .

2 .1-5 . Transport .

2 .1 .5 .1 . VOLATILIZATION -- Rathbun and Tai (1982) measured the overall mass-transter coefficient for the volatilization of methyl ethyl ketone

from water in a stirred laboratory bath . At -250C, the experimental masstransfer coefficient ranged from 0 .306-0 .611 m/day at the stirring rates

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