Substance fact sheet
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) provides information on the types and amounts of pollutants being emitted in the Australian community.
This page provides facts about 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate. It describes how you might be exposed to this substance, how exposure might effect you and the environment, common uses, comparative data about 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate and its physical and chemical properties.
For more information about some of the terms used in this page, see the NPI glossary.
The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) holds data for all sources of 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate emissions in Australia.
2-Ethoxyethanol acetate can effect you if breathed in and by passing through the skin. It is an irritant to the eyes, mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract. Prolonged contact will cause skin irritation. Exposure to 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate may cause nausea, vomiting and headache. Higher levels of exposure may cause central nervous system depression, blood changes and lung injury. Reproductive disorders may occur. It can cause injury to the bone marrow, blood cells, and testes. Kidney and liver damage have been reported. Exposure to animals has caused testicular damage, foetal death and abnormalities, fertility effects and other reproductive effects. Worksafe Australia has determined that 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate may cause birth defects and be teratogenic (harm a foetus).
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate will enter the body if we breathe in contaminated air, or drink contaminated water. It can also pass through the skin.
Workers in the industries that use or produce 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate are at risk of exposure. Consumers can be exposed to 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate by exposure to air from production and processing facilities using 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate, or drinking water which has been contaminated by releases of 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate. Consumers may also be exposed to 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate when using consumer products containing 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate, especially if there is not good ventilation.
See Sources for more information.
Worksafe Australia : For 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate it is allowable for workers to be exposed to 5 parts per million over an eight hour workshift. Worksafe Australia has determined that 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate may cause birth defects and be teratogenic (harm a foetus).
The Australian NOHSC National Exposure Standards Database link is probably the most useful source of information.
Note that the emissions data in the NPI database is not directly comparable with these guidelines.
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate will exist as a gas if released to the atmosphere. It dissolves when mixed with water. In the air it is reacted into other chemicals, in the water and soil bacteria break it down. It has slight acute (short-term) toxicity on aquatic life. It has slight chronic (long-term) toxicity to aquatic life. Chronic and acute effects on plants, birds or land animals have not been determined. (This information is based upon data from similar glycol ethers.).
Industrial emissions of 2-Ethoxyethyl acetate can produce elevated, but still low level concentrations in the atmosphere around the source. The majority of the releases are to the air, where it exists in the gas phase. In the air it is reacted with sunlight and other chemicals which break it down in one to a few days. Because of its short life expectancy in the atmosphere 2-Ethoxyethyl acetate is expected to be confined to the local area within which it is emitted. Much of the 2-Ethoxyethyl acetate will be deposited on to the land or water by rain or dew. In the water it will be degraded in one to a few weeks. (This information is based upon data from similar glycol ethers.)
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate enters the air during production, use and transporting it. In the air sunlight and other chemicals will break it down into other chemicals in one to a few days. The reaction products are hydroxyesters, hydroxyacids, hydroxycarbonyls, peroxyacyl nitrates and formaldehyde. It dissolves when mixed with water. In water it will be broken down into other chemicals in one to a few weeks. In the soil and water bacteria will break it down. (This information is based upon data from similar glycol ethers.).
No national guidelines.
2-Ethoxyethanol acetate is used in automobile lacquers to retard evaporation and impart high gloss. It is used as a solvent for oils, resins, and nitrocellulose. It retards 'blushing' in lacquers and varnish removers. It is used in wood stains, leather and cosmetic ingredients. It is also used in the semiconductor industry.
The primary stationary sources of 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate are the industries that manufacture it or use it in production. Industries using 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate are the paint, stain, varnish, and adhesives manufacturers and the semiconductor industry.
Sources of diffuse emissions are: household use of paints, varnish, stains, and adhesives and smaller scale commercial use of the same products.
2-Ethoxyethanol acetate does not occur naturally in the environment.
There are no known sources of mobile emissions of 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate.
Various paint related products, paint thinners, synthetic resin and rubber adhesives, and wood office work systems.
Approximately 400 substances were considered for inclusion on the NPI reporting list. A ranking and total hazard score was given based on health and environmental hazards and human and environmental exposure to the substance.
2-Ethoxyethanol acetate was ranked as 20 out of 400. The total hazard score taking into account both human health and environmental criteria is 3.0.
On a health hazard rating of 0 - 3 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate registers 3.0. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to health, 2 represents a medium hazard and 1 is harmful to health.
On an environmental rating of 0 - 3 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate registers 0.0. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to the environment and 0 a negligible hazard.
Factors taken into account to obtain this ranking and these scores include the extent of the material's toxic or poisonous nature and/or its lack of toxicity, and the measure of its ability to remain active in the environment and whether it accumulates in living organisms. It does not take into account exposure to the substance. Environmental exposure is reflected in the NPI rank for this substance (see comparative data below). A substance that scores highly as an environmental hazard is oxides of nitrogen at 3.0 and one of the lower scores is carbon monoxide at 0.8. A substance that scores highly as a health hazard is arsenic at 2.3 and one of the lowest scores is ammonia at 1.0.
| Substance name | 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate |
| CASR number |
111-15-9 |
| Molecular formula | C6H12O3 |
| Synonyms | Ethylene glycol monoethylether acetate; Ethylglycol acetate; Cellosolve acetate; Ethyl Cellosolve acetate; 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate; Glycol, monoethyl ether acetate; Ethylene glycol monethyl ether acetate; Ethoxyethyl acetate; Ethoxyethanol acetate; Ethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate; Ethyl acetyl glycolate |
| Physical properties: 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate is a clear, colourless, and volatile liquid and has a mild sweet odour. Melting Point (°C): 61.7 |
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| Chemical properties: 2-Ethoxyethanol acetate is an organic solvent. Flash Point (°C) 57 |
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There is more information that may be useful in understanding some of the issues surrounding the NPI.