Substance fact sheet
The background information page contains information and concepts that will be useful in understanding some of the issues surrounding the NPI. It is strongly recommended that you read this before reading the information presented below.
For an explanation of some of the terms used in this page, see the Glossary
| Substance name | Ethyl butyl ketone |
| CASR number | 106-35-4 |
| Molecular formula | C7H14O |
| Synonyms | butyl ethyl ketone; 3-heptanone; n-Butyl Ethyl Ketone; heptan-3-one; Ethyl n-Butyl Ketone; |
Physical and chemical properties Physical properties: Ethyl butyl ketone is a colourless, flammable liquid with a mild fruity odour. Melting Point (°C): -38 Boiling Point (°C): 147 Specific Gravity: 0.819 Chemical properties: |
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Common uses Ethyl butyl ketone is used as a solvent and as an ingredient in fragrances. |
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Sources of emissions Point sources The primary sources of ethyl butyl ketone are the industries that manufacture it or use it in production. Some of the industries that use it in production are chemical industry, and the manufacturers cosmetics and fragrances. Diffuse sources, and point sources included in aggregated emissions data Other possible emitters of ethyl butyl ketone are facilities which use it as a solvent. Natural sources No national sources. Mobile sources There are no known sources of mobile emissions of ethyl butyl ketone. Consumer products which may contain Ethyl butyl ketone Some fragrances. |
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Health effects How might I be exposed to Ethyl butyl ketone? Workers in the industries that use or produce ethyl butyl ketone are at risk of exposure. Consumers can be exposed to ethyl butyl ketone by exposure to air from production and processing facilities. Consumers may also be exposed to ethyl butyl ketone when using consumer products containing ethyl butyl ketone. By what pathways might Ethyl butyl ketone enter my body? Methyl ethyl butyl ketone will enter the body if we breathe in contaminated air, or consume food or water that has been contaminated. It can also pass through the skin. Relative health hazard On a health hazard spectrum of 0 - 3 Ethyl butyl ketone registers 0.7. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to health, 2 represents a medium hazard and 1 is harmful to health. Factors that are taken into account to obtain this ranking include the extent of the material's toxic or poisonous nature and/or its lack of toxicity, and the evaluation of its tendency to cause, or not cause cancer and/or birth defects. It does not take into account exposure to the substance. Human exposure is reflected in the NPI rank given to this substance (see comparative data below). 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.  Health guidelines According to Worksafe Australia: For ethyl butyl ketone, it is allowable for workers to be exposed to concentrations of 50 parts per million over an eight hour workshift. See the Additional Information page for current health information. 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. What effect might Ethyl butyl ketone have on my health? Ethyl butyl ketone can effect you if breathed in and by passing through the skin. The effects of high concentrations may be headaches, dizziness, light-headedness, and unconsciousness. Ethyl butyl ketone vapours irritates the eyes, nose, and throat. Prolonged contact with the skin will cause irritation, dryness and cracking. |
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Environmental effects Environmental Fate Ethyl butyl ketone evaporates to a gas if released as a liquid. It evaporates from both water and soil when exposed to air. Environmental Transport Industrial emissions of ethyl butyl ketone can produce elevated, but still low level concentrations in the atmosphere around the source. Relative hazard to the environment On an environmental spectrum of 0 - 3 Ethyl butyl ketone registers 2. A score of 3 represents a very high hazard to the environment and 0 a negligible hazard. Factors that are taken into account to obtain this ranking 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 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.  Environmental guidelines See the Additional Information page for current environmental guidelines. No national guidelines. What effect might Ethyl butyl ketone have on the environment? Ethyl butyl ketone evaporates when exposed to air. Insufficient data is available to predict the rate that ethyl butyl ketone is broken down in the environment. Insufficient data is available to predict the acute (short-term) toxicity or chronic (long-term) toxicity to aquatic life, plants or land animals. |
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Comparative data NPI Rank Approximately 400 substances were considered for inclusion on the NPI reporting list. A risk ranking was given based on health and environmental hazard identification and human and environmental exposure to the substance. Some substances were grouped together at the same rank with 208 ranks in total. Ethyl butyl ketone was ranked as 82 out of the 208 ranks. Total hazard score (human health + environmental criteria) = 2.7.  |
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Sources of information used in preparing this article
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