Acetone

Abstract

Abstract Acetone is a clear, colorless, mobile liquid that is completely miscible with water and most organic solvents and oils. It is widely used in industry as a solvent, a building block in organic chemistry, and as a polymer precursor. Consumer products with acetone include nail polish removers and paint thinners. Acetone is also a by‐product of mammalian metabolism and is found in all tissues. The internal levels depend on nutritional and metabolic conditions and are increased in obesity and diabetes, and during physical exercise and starvation. Acetone is readily taken up via inhalation and ingestion. Due to its excellent solvent properties, acetone readily removes water and lipids from the skin, making it more vulnerable to irritating, sensitizing, and infectious agents. Compared with many other industrial solvents, acetone is of relatively low toxicity. The critical effect, that is, the first effect that appears as the exposure level increases, is mild respiratory tract and eye irritation. At higher exposures, central nervous system (CNS) effects such as lightheadedness and headache are observed. Acetone is rapidly cleared from the body, mainly by metabolism, and toxic effects after chronic exposure, in general, agree with those following acute exposure. Reproductive and developmental effects appear only after much higher doses of acetone than those causing irritation and CNS effects. Genotoxicity is not observed in vitro and in vivo . No carcinogenicity studies are available.