Acetone

Acetone

by: Khi Sam

Have you ever looked at nail polish removers and seen the word acetone on it? What is acetone? Well it is a chemical that can be found both in nature and created in a laboratory. It is used in a laboratory to produce other chemicals. Used in products like coatings, inks and lacquers for furniture and automotive finishes (2). Finally it is used as a solvent which is why it works wonders for being in a nail polish remover (1).

Acetone can be found both in nature and in a laboratory. In a laboratory there are several ways it can be created. One way is through a process called cumene peroxidation, in this process cumene is oxidized to hydroperoxide and then split in two to get acetone and a phenol (4). The next method is called Isopropanol dehydrogenation, Isopropanol is acetone with an extra hydrogen in it. Therefore it we take the hydrogen away it becomes acetone (4). In nature it can be found in metabolic processes like a forest fire and volcanic eruptions (2). The interesting thing about acetone is that it can be found naturally in animals simply through metabolizing the fats found in their bodies. The produced acetone is then used to break down other carbohydrates and fats to get energy for the bodies. This means that everyone has some acetone in their body by natural means (4). 

Now the most important question is, is acetone dangerous for humans? Well like previously said acetone is found naturally in animals including humans. The body creates and then excretes it out. The first method for excreting acetone is by just breathing it out, this will get almost all the acetone in the body out. The remaining acetone is then excreted out through the urine (4). This means that acetone is generally safe for human use but it does have side effects if not used correctly. If a person becomes overexposed to the chemical it can also have health effects because acetone is a volatile and flammable chemical (3).

Health effects from acetone overexposure:

-Irritation in throats, nose, lungs and eyes if exposed through the air (4). 

-Irritation in skin if exposed to skin and may lead to skin cell damage (4).

-If exposed at even high concentration may lead to headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion and unconsciousness (4).

-Direct exposure to wounds may cause vomiting of blood and unconsciousness (4).

Acetone is a generally safe chemical to use but like all chemicals it should be used responsibly.   

References:

(1) Coetzee, J. F., and Chang, T. H. (1986) Recommended methods for the purification of solvents

and tests for impurities acetone. Pure & Appl. Chem., Vol. 58, pp. 1535-1540. http://pac.iupac.org/

publications/pac/pdf/1986/pdf/5811x1535.pdf.

(2) Government of Canada, Environment Canada, Health Canada. (2014) Screening Assessment

of Acetone. Retrieved November 12, 2014 from, http://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/default.asp?

lang=En&n=CB62CB1D-1#toc09.

(3) O’Neil, M. J., et al. (2006) The Merck Index (Fourteenth edition). An encyclopedia of chemicals,

drugs, and biologicals. Pp. 61. NJ. Merck Research Laboratories.

(4) U.S. Departement of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Agency for Toxic

Substances and Disease Registry. (1994) Toxicological Profile for Acetone. Retrieved November 12,

2014 from, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp21.pdf.