Ethyl acetate

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance clear, colorless liquid. Flash Point -4 deg C Warning! Flammable liquid and vapor. Causes eye irritation. Breathing vapors may cause drowsiness and dizziness. May cause respiratory tract irritation. Prolonged or repeated contact causes defatting of the skin with irritation, dryness, and cracking. Target Organs: Central nervous system, respiratory system, eyes, skin.

Potential health effects

Eye: Causes eye irritation. Vapors may cause eye irritation. Skin: May cause skin irritation. Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause drying and cracking of the skin. The majority of human studies have demonstrated that ethyl acetate does not cause an allergic response on human skin. However, there is one case report of a woman developing a skin allergy to ethyl acetate. Ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract. Ingestion of large amounts may cause central nervous depression. May cause headache, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. These effects may be caused in part by ethanol which is released when ethyl acetate is broken down in the body. Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation. Inhalation of high concentrations may cause narcotic effects. May be harmful if inhaled. Chronic: Chronic inhalation may cause effects similar to those of acute inhalation. Animals exposed to 4300 ppm (mice) and 2000 ppm (guinea pig), 6 hours/day for 7 days developed minor blood changes & loss of appetite. There was no indication of liver or kidney injury. Rabbits exposed to 16000 mg/m3 (4440 ppm), 1 hour/day for 40 days developed secondary anemia (decreased number of red blood cells), decreased hemoglobin levels, increased numbers of macrophages, congestion and fatty degeneration of various organs, and enlargement of the spleen. A reviewer suggested that the organ damage may have been due to impurities present in the ethyl