Acetic anhydride. Documentation

Apply

Acetic anhydride. Documentation

Journal Title: Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy - Year 2013, Vol 29, Issue 4

Abstract

Acetic anhydride is a colorless, mobile liquid with a pungent acetic odor. It is used in manu-facturing cellulose acetate fibers, plastics, vinyl acetate, pharmaceuticals, dyes and perfumes. Acetic anhydride is flammable, corrosive and harmful if inhaled or swallowed. It is rapidly hydrolyzed to acetic acid. In workers, acute toxicity of acetic anhydride at concentrations above 21 mg/m3 was observed in the form irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Higher vapor concentrations may produce ulceration of the nasal mucosa and possible bronchospasm, eye burning followed by corneal and conjunctival edema and corneal opacity. LC50 in rats is 1680 mg/m3, LD50 per os 1780 mg/kg m.c. or 630 mg/kg m.c.; and dermal LD50 in rabbits is 4000 mg/kg m.c. No systemic effects were observed after exposure of rats to acetic anhydride at concentrations of 4.2, 21 or 84 mg/m3 for 13 weeks. No evidence of mutagenicity in Ames test was observed. Results in rat micronucleus assay were negative. Acetic anhydride has no significant mutagenic or genotoxic activity. For rats, the developmental and reproductive toxicity NOAEL is 105 mg/m3. There are no valid data available that are suitable for establishing a MAC value. MAC estimation by analogy to acetic acid has been proposed. The value of MAC for acetic acid is 25 mg/m3. Half of that value has been proposed as the value of MAC for acetic anhydride MAC, i.e., 12 mg/m3. In addition, 24 mg/m3 has been proposed as a short-term exposure limit (STEL) to protect employees from the irritation of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Considering evidence on the corrosive properties of acetic anhydride, additional notation with “C” has been recommended.

Authors and Affiliations

AGNIESZKA JANKOWSKA, SŁAWOMIR CZERCZAK

Keywords

EP ID EP224618
DOI -
Views 87
Downloads 0