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EC number: 201-159-0 | CAS number: 78-93-3
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
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- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
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- Endpoint summary
- Stability
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- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
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- Toxicological Summary
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- Additional toxicological data

Direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other
Administrative data
- Endpoint:
- direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- key study
- Reliability:
- 2 (reliable with restrictions)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- study well documented, meets generally accepted scientific principles, acceptable for assessment
Data source
Reference
- Reference Type:
- publication
- Title:
- Dose-dependent kinetics of inhaled methylethylketone in man
- Author:
- Liira, J., Johanson, G., & Riihimaki, V.
- Year:
- 1 990
- Bibliographic source:
- Toxicology letters, 50(2-3), 195-201
Materials and methods
- Study type:
- study with volunteers
- Endpoint addressed:
- basic toxicokinetics
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- - Principle of test: Inhalation kinetics in human volunteers
- Short description of test conditions: volunteers were exposed for 4 hours on three separate days at least one week apart. Volunteers were exposed to MEK alone, or to MEK before or after ingestion of alcohol.
- Parameters analysed / observed: blood concentration was measured during and after three 4-hour exposure periods. Exhaled air was sampled during and after exposure. Urine samples were obtained every two hours during and every four hours after the exposure period. Analysis: methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), ethanol and the reversible intermediate metabolite 2-butanol in blood. MEK and the metabolite 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) in urine. MEK in exhaled air. Area under the curve (AUC) and clearance were calculated. - GLP compliance:
- no
Test material
- Reference substance name:
- Butanone
- EC Number:
- 201-159-0
- EC Name:
- Butanone
- Cas Number:
- 78-93-3
- Molecular formula:
- C4H8O
- IUPAC Name:
- butan-2-one
Constituent 1
Method
- Type of population:
- other: Healthy students
- Subjects:
- - Number of subjects exposed:
- Sex: Male
- Number: 5.
- Race: no information
- Demographic information: all were students; no other demographic information
- Known diseases: all were healthy
- Age: 22 - 24 years (mean 23),
- Weight 63 to 77 kg (mean 70.2),
- Height 165 to 185 cm (mean 180)
- Mean minute ventilation in sedentary activity: approximately 11 litres/min (assumed, based on Liira, 1988) - Ethical approval:
- confirmed and informed consent free of coercion received
- Remarks:
- "The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki concerning human medical studies were strictly followed and the study program was accepted by the ethical committee of the Institute Of Occupational Health. The study subjects gave their informed consent."
- Route of exposure:
- inhalation
- Reason of exposure:
- intentional
- Exposure assessment:
- measured
- Details on exposure:
- - Route of administration: inhalation: vapour
- Duration and frequency of treatment / exposure: 4-hour exposure period on three separate days at least 7 days apart
- Concentration: 200 ppm, 8.2 mmol/m³, equivalent to 592 mg/m³ based on m. wt 72.1057. Mean measured concentration 203 ± 3, range 178-227 - Examinations:
- - Urine analysis: yes, analysed for test substance methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and metabolite 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD)
- Haematology: yes, analysed for test substance, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and reversible intermediate metabolite 2-butanol - Medical treatment:
- None
Results and discussion
- Outcome of incidence:
- The pulmonary retention of MEK in the lungs remained constant throughout exposures with or without exercise.
The relative uptake varied between 46.0% and 55.8%
Blood concentration of MEK increased from approximately 12 µmol/l to approximately 60 µmol/l from start to end of the 4-hour exposure, returning to approximately 5 µmol/l at 8 hours after end of exposure.
Blood concentration of 2-butanol, a reversible metabolite of MEK, increased from approximately 0.5 µmol/l to approximately 2 µmol/l from start to end of the 4-hour exposure, returning to approximately 5 µmol/l 4 hours after the end of exposure.
Blood concentration of 2,3-BD reached a maximum of approximately 50 µmol/l one to three hours after the end of the 4-hour exposure, returning to approximately 2 to 3 times initial levels 8 hours after end of exposure.
Less than 1% of the absorbed dose of MEK was eliminated by exhalation.
Less than 1% of the absorbed dose of MEK was eliminated in the urine, as most MEK is metabolised to 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD).
Excretion of 2,3-BD increased for more than 4 hours after the end of exposure, then decreased over the next 16 hours.
Any other information on results incl. tables
Mean toxicokinetic parameters (mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated)
Parameter |
Value |
Pulmonary retention (%)* |
55.8 ±9.1 |
Pulmonary uptake of MEK (mmol)* |
12.0 ± 2.0 |
AUC (µmol x min/l)* |
23400 ± 8300 |
Apparent clearance (l-min)* |
0.60 ± 0.31 |
Pulmonary excretion of MEK (mmol)** |
0.34 ± 0.16 (2.8%) |
Urinary excretion of MEK (µmol) ** |
26.7 ± 9.6 (0.2%) |
Urinary excretion of 2,3-butanediol (pooled samples) (µmol) ** |
426 (3.5%) |
* Exposure to 200 ppm MEK for four hours
** Excretion of MEK and 2,3-BD over 24 hours during and after exposure to 200 ppm MEK for four hours. Figures in parentheses are in percentages of total pulmonary uptake of MEK.
Applicant's summary and conclusion
- Conclusions:
- The relative uptake of MEK in human volunteers exposed via inhalation for 4 hours at 200 ppm was 55.8%.
Metabolism: 2-Butanol is a reversible intermediate metabolite of MEK. 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) is the final metabolite.
Excretion of MEK via inhalation: less than 1% of absorbed dose.
Excretion of MEK via urine: less than 1% of absorbed dose.
Excretion of 2,3-BD via urine: 3.5% of absorbed dose.
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