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Data on eye irritation in humans are available for the structural analogue substance DMEA (CAS 598 -56 -1).

Experimental exposure of four volunteers to 40-50 mg/m3 of DMEA for 8 hours caused irritation of the mucous membrane of their eyes, subjective visual disturbances (haze), and slight swelling of the corneal epithelium. The thickness of the cornea showed a very slight but consistent increase in all four subjects at these exposures and in two subjects exposed to 10 mg/m3 but without dose-response. The effects faded within one to three hours after the end of the exposure. Concentrations of 80 and 160 mg/m3 for 15 minutes caused eye irritation but no visual disturbances or corneal swelling. Occupational exposure for eight hours to about 25 mg/m3 of DMEA (with peaks above 100 mg/m3) was also associated with eye irritation, haze, and corneal swelling. The authors believed that the divergence between their findings and other reports in which visual disturbances occurred at lower concentrations during occupational exposure may be due to peak concentrations.

It was concluded that the records for experiments with 15 minute exposure at concentrations of 80 and 160 mg/m3 DMEA, and eight hour exposure at concentrations of 40 and 50 mg/m3 indicate that irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes seems to be the critical effect of short term exposure to DMEA rather than visual disturbances.