Acetone poisoning (2024)

FAQs

What are the symptoms of acetone toxicity? ›

When there is only a small amount, your liver breaks it down into harmless chemicals. Breathing or swallowing high amounts of acetone over a short period of time can cause headaches, confusion, nausea, racing pulse, changes in the size and amount of blood cells, unconsciousness (passing out), or coma.

Accidentally drinking small amounts of acetone/nail polish remover is unlikely to harm you as an adult. However, even small amounts can be dangerous to your child, so it is important to keep this and all household chemicals in a safe place. If the person survives past 48 hours, the chances for recovery are good.

ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 500 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift and 750 ppm as a STEL (short-term exposure limit).

Acetone is a type of ketone, and it is the same fruity-smelling substance found in some nail polish removers. If the breath of a person with diabetes smells of acetone, this suggests that there are high levels of ketones in their blood. As the ketones build up, they increase the acidity of the blood. This can be toxic.

There is also evidence of adverse renal effects from several human case studies. Respiratory endpoints. Human studies of inhalation exposures to acetone have shown irritation of the nose, throat, trachea, and lungs. Irritation has also been observed in animal studies, though at higher doses than in humans.

Target Organs: Central nervous system, respiratory system, eyes, skin. Eye: Produces irritation, characterized by a burning sensation, redness, tearing, inflammation, and possible corneal injury. Skin: May be absorbed through the skin. Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause drying and cracking of the skin.

Acetone is non-toxic, and therefore, you'll find that the pharmaceutical industries use that liquid as a filler to ensure accurate dosages of certain medications. On the other hand, denatured alcohol is highly toxic and causes many health conditions, such as brain damage and death.

Results showed that workers exposed to acetone were most affected in terms of human performance and evidence of neurotoxicity, followed by workers exposed to MEK and workers exposed to cyclohexanone.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has classified Acetone as A4 – Not classifiable as a human carcinogen ¹⁶. Acetone is often used as a negative control or vehicle in dermal carcinogenicity studies (based on study summary ³).

In addition to blister formation, polish removers may cause irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, onycholysis, paronychia, and brittleness.

What precautions should be taken when using acetone? ›

Avoid breathing dust/ fume/ gas/mist/ vapours/ spray. Wash skin thoroughly after handling. Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wear protective gloves/ eye protection/ face protection.

Because humans can endogenously produce both acetone and methyl ethyl ketone, the compounds may be detected in the pooled urine blanks.

Breathing moderate to high amounts of acetone for a short amount of time can irritate your nose, throat, lungs and eyes. It can also cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, a faster pulse, nausea, vomiting, effects on the blood, passing out and possible coma, and a shorter menstrual cycle in women.

If your breath smells like acetone -- the same fruity scent as nail polish remover -- it may be a sign of high levels of ketones (acids your liver makes) in your blood. It's a problem mainly of type 1 diabetes but also can happen with type 2 if you get a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

For example, breath that has a fruity or acetone-like scent may be a sign of ketosis from your diet, excessive alcohol intake, or liver disease. If you have diabetes, this scent can be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a condition that can be fatal if not treated.

Acetone is a colorless liquid that is also known as propanone. It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in certain concentrations, with low toxicity, but high flammability. This chemical is a solvent that mixes well with water and evaporates quickly, making it well-suited for many household and manufacturing uses.

AcraStrip 600 Auto is a direct replacement for Acetone applications. It is a ready-to-use, non-hazardous, aqueous, eco-friendly cleaner that was specially formulated to replace acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, MIBK, paint thinners, and other petroleum-based products.

The proof: Methanol is toxic at lower doses than acetone. Inhaling or swallowing acetone can lead to skin, eye, and respiratory-tract irritation, coughing, dizziness, headache, depression, narcosis (chemically induced stupor), and unconsciousness.

It is generally recognized to have low acute and chronic toxicity if ingested and/or inhaled. Acetone is not currently regarded as a carcinogen, a mutagen, or a concern for chronic neurotoxicity effects.