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2-Butoxyethanol
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 111–76–2
NIOSH REL: 5 ppm (24 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
Current OSHA PEL: 50 ppm (240 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
1989 OSHA PEL: 25 ppm (120 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 25 ppm (121 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
Description of Substance: Colorless liquid with a mild, ether-like odor.
LEL(@200 F): 1.1% (10% LEL(@200 F), 1,100 ppm)
Original (SCP) IDLH: 700 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the mouse 7-hour LC50 of 700 ppm [Werner et al. 1943 cited by Patty 1963, Browning 1965, and ACGIH 1971]. No other useful data are available on which to base the IDLH. The chosen IDLH is probably conservative, because Patty [1963] reported that exposure of workers for several hours to 300 to 600 ppm would probably cause respiratory and eye irritation, narcosis, and damage to the kidney and liver. Both Patty [1963] and ACGIH [1971] noted that humans appear to be more resistant to the toxic effects of 2-butoxyethanol [Carpenter et al. 1956], which further indicates that the chosen IDLH might be conservative.
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50(ppm) | LCLo(ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) | DerivedValue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RatMouse | Dodd et al. 1983Werner et al. 1943 | 450700 | ———- | 4 hr7 hr | 900 ppm (2.0)1,680 ppm (2.4) | 90 ppm168 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50(mg/kg) | LDLo(mg/kg) | Adjusted LD | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MouseRat
Rabbit G. pig Rat |
Carpenter et al. 1956Dow 1986
Dow 1986 Smyth et al. 1941 Smyth et al. 1941 |
oraloral
oral oral oral |
1,230470
300 1,200 1,480 |
———-
—– —– —– |
1,754 ppm670 ppm
428 ppm 1,711 ppm 2,110 ppm |
175 ppm67 ppm
43 ppm 171 ppm 211 ppm |
Other animal data: RD50 (mouse), 2,824 ppm [Alarie 1981].
Human data: It has been stated that humans would be able to tolerate saturated concentrations (i.e., about 1,000 ppm) for 1 hour without experiencing any significant nonreversible effects [Carpenter et al. 1956].
| Revised IDLH: 700 ppm [Unchanged]Basis for revised IDLH: Based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Carpenter et al. 1956], a value of about 1,000 ppm would have been appropriate for 2-butoxyethanol. However, the original IDLH for 2-butoxyethanol (700 ppm) is not being revised at this time. |
REFERENCES:
1. ACGIH [1971]. 2-Butoxy ethanol (butyl cellosolve). In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 29-30.
2. Alarie Y [1981]. Dose-response analysis in animal studies: prediction of human responses. Environ Health Perspect 42:9-13.
3. Browning E [1965]. Toxicity and metabolism of industrial solvents. New York, NY: Elsevier Publishing Company, p. 611.
4. Carpenter CP, Pozzani UC, Weil CS, Nair JH III, Keck GA, Smyth HF Jr [1956]. The toxicity of butyl cellosolve solvent. AMA Arch Ind Health 14:129-131.
5. Dodd DE, Snellings WM, Maronpot RR, Ballantyne B [1983]. Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether: acute, 9-day, and 90-day vapor inhalation studies in Fischer 344 rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 68:405-414.
6. Dow [1986]. Material safety data sheet: Dowanol® EB (ethylene glycol butyl ether). Midland, MI: Dow Chemical USA, pp. 1-4.
7. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1555.
8. Smyth HF Jr, Seaton J, Fischer L [1941]. The single dose toxicity of some glycols and derivatives. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 23:259-268.
9. Werner HW, Mitchel JL, Miller JW, von Oettingen WF [1943]. The acute toxicity of vapors of several monoalkyl ethers of ethylene glycol. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 25(19):157-163.