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This guideline summarizes pertinent information about tert-butyl acetate for workers and employers as well as for physicians, industrial hygienists, and other occupational safety and health professionals who may need such information to conduct effective occupational safety and health programs. Recommendations may be superseded by new developments; readers are therefore advised to regard these recommendations as general guidelines and to determine periodically whether new information is available.
SUBSTANCE IDENTIFICATION * Formula C(6)H(12)O(2) * Structure (For Structure, see paper copy) * Synonyms t-Butyl acetate; acetic acid, tert-butyl ester; acetic acid, 1,1-dimethyl ethyl ester; Texaco Lead Appreciator; TLA. * Identifiers
tert-Butyl acetate is a flammable, colorless liquid with a fruity odor. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES * Physical data
There is no National Fire Protection Association fire hazard rating for tert-butyl acetate; however, other sources rate this substance's fire hazard potential as severe.
The average air odor recognition threshold for n-butyl acetate, a chemical structurally similar to tert-butyl acetate, is 0.68 part per million (ppm) parts of air. Because this value is below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) current permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 200 ppm [29 CFR 1910.1000, Table Z-1-A], tert-butyl acetate is therefore likely to have adequate warning properties for the purpose of respirator selection. * Eye irritation properties No information is available on the specific concentration of tert-butyl acetate that causes eye irritation; however, this substance is known to be an eye irritant. EXPOSURE LIMITS The current OSHA PEL for tert-butyl acetate is 200 ppm (950 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3)) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration [29 CFR 1910.1000, Table Z-1-A]. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has not issued a recommended exposure limit (REL) for tert-butyl acetate; however, NIOSH concurs with the PEL established for this substance by OSHA [NIOSH 1988]. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has assigned tert-butyl acetate a threshold limit value (TLV) of 200 ppm (950 mg/m3) as a TWA for a normal 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek [ACGIH 1989, p. 14]. The OSHA and ACGIH limits are based on the risk of eye and respiratory tract irritation associated with exposure to tert-butyl acetate. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION * Routes of exposure Exposure to tert-butyl acetate can occur via inhalation, ingestion, and eye or skin contact. * Summary of toxicology
In the event of an emergency, remove the victim from further exposure, send for medical assistance, and initiate the following emergency procedures:
The following operations may involve tert-butyl acetate and lead to worker exposures to this substance:
Workers who may be exposed to chemical hazards should be monitored in a systematic program of medical surveillance that is intended to prevent occupational injury and disease. The program should include education of employers and workers about work-related hazards, placement of workers in jobs that do not jeopardize their safety or health, early detection of adverse health effects, and referral of workers for diagnosis and treatment. The occurrence of disease or other work-related adverse health effects should prompt immediate evaluation of primary preventive measures (e.g., industrial hygiene monitoring, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment). A medical monitoring program is intended to supplement, not replace, such measures. To place workers effectively and to detect and control work-related health effects, medical evaluations should be performed (1) before job placement, (2) periodically during the period of employment, and (3) at the time of job transfer or termination. * Preplacement medical evaluation Before a worker is placed in a job with a potential for exposure to tert-butyl acetate, the examining physician should evaluate and document the worker's baseline health status with thorough medical, environmental, and occupational histories, a physical examination, and physiologic and laboratory tests appropriate for the anticipated occupational risks. These should concentrate on the function and integrity of the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Medical monitoring for respiratory disease should be conducted using the principles and methods recommended by NIOSH and the American Thoracic Society. A preplacement medical evaluation is recommended to assess an individual's suitability for employment at a specific job and to detect and assess medical conditions that may be aggravated or may result in increased risk when a worker is exposed to tert-butyl acetate at or below the prescribed exposure limit. The examining physician should consider the probable frequency, intensity, and duration of exposure as well as the nature and degree of any applicable medical condition. Such conditions (which should not be regarded as absolute contraindications to job placement) include a history and other findings consistent with diseases of the eyes, skin, or respiratory tract. * Periodic medical examinations and biological monitoring Occupational health interviews and physical examinations should be performed at regular intervals during the employment period, as mandated by any applicable Federal, State, or local standard. Where no standard exists and the hazard is minimal, evaluations should be conducted every 3 to 5 years or as frequently as recommended by an experienced occupational health physician. Additional examinations may be necessary if a worker develops symptoms attributable to tert-butyl acetate exposure. The interviews, examinations, and medical screening tests should focus on identifying the adverse effects of tert-butyl acetate on the eyes, skin, or respiratory system. Current health status should be compared with the baseline health status of the individual worker or with expected values for a suitable reference population. Biological monitoring involves sampling and analyzing body tissues or fluids to provide an index of exposure to a toxic substance or metabolite. No biological monitoring test acceptable for routine use has yet been developed for tert-butyl acetate. * Medical examinations recommended at the time of job transfer or termination The medical, environmental, and occupational history interviews, the physical examination, and selected physiologic or laboratory tests that were conducted at the time of placement should be repeated at the time of job transfer or termination to determine the worker's medical status at the end of his or her employment. Any changes in the worker's health status should be compared with those expected for a suitable reference population. WORKPLACE MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES Determination of a worker's exposure to airborne tert-butyl acetate is made using coconut shell charcoal tubes (100/50 mg sections, 20/40 mesh). Samples are collected at a maximum flow rate of 0.2 liter per minute until a maximum air volume of 10 liters is collected. The sample is then desorbed with carbon disulfide. Analysis is conducted by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. The limit of detection for this procedure is 0.02 mg sample. This method is described in NIOSH Method 1450 [Esters I] [NIOSH 1984].
PERSONAL HYGIENE PROCEDURES If tert-butyl acetate contacts the skin, workers should flush the affected areas immediately with plenty of water for 15 minutes, followed by washing with soap and water. Clothing contaminated with tert-butyl acetate should be removed immediately, and provisions should be made for the safe removal of the chemical from the clothing. Persons laundering the clothes should be informed of the hazardous properties of tert-butyl acetate, particularly its potential to be irritating to the eyes and skin. A worker who handles tert-butyl acetate should thoroughly wash hands, forearms, and face with soap and water before eating, using tobacco products, or using toilet facilities. Workers should not eat, drink, or use tobacco products in areas where tert-butyl acetate is handled, processed, or stored. STORAGE Tert-Butyl acetate should be stored in a cool, dry, well- ventilated area in tightly sealed containers that are labeled in accordance with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard [29 CFR 1910.1200]. Containers of tert-butyl acetate should be protected from physical damage and should be stored separately from nitrates, strong oxidizers, strong acids, strong alkalies, heat, sparks, and open flame. Because containers that formerly contained tert-butyl acetate may still hold product residues, they should be handled appropriately. LEAKS In the event of a leak involving tert-butyl acetate, persons not wearing protective equipment and clothing should be restricted from contaminated areas until cleanup has been completed. The following steps should be undertaken following a leak:
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) regulatory requirements for emergency planning, community right-to-know, and hazardous waste management may vary over time. Users are therefore advised to determine periodically whether new information is available. * Emergency planning requirements Tert-Butyl acetate is not subject to EPA emergency planning requirements under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) (Title III). * Reportable quantity requirements (releases of hazardous substances) A hazardous substance release is defined by EPA as any spilling, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment (including the abandonment or discarding of containers) of hazardous substances. In the event of a release that is above the reportable quantity for that chemical, employers are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to notify the proper Federal authorities. The reportable quantity for tert-butyl acetate is 5,000 pounds. If an amount equal to or greater than this quantity is released within a 24-hour period, CERCLA [40 CFR Part 302.6] requires employers to notify the National Response Center IMMEDIATELY at (800) 424-8802 (in Washington, D.C. at (202) 426-2675). * Community right-to-know requirements Employers are not required by Section 313 of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) to submit a Toxic Chemical Release Inventory form (Form R) to EPA reporting the amount of tert-butyl acetate emitted or released from their facility annually. * Hazardous waste management requirements EPA considers a waste to be hazardous if it exhibits any of the following characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity, as defined in 40 CFR 261.21-261.24. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA has specifically listed many chemical wastes as hazardous. Although tert-butyl acetate is not specifically listed as a hazardous waste under RCRA, EPA requires employers to treat any waste as hazardous if it exhibits any of the characteristics discussed above. Providing more information about the removal and disposal of specific chemicals is beyond the scope of this guideline. EPA, U.S. Department of Transportation, and State and local regulations should be followed to ensure that removal, transport, and disposal of this substance are conducted in accordance with existing regulations. To be certain that chemical waste disposal meets EPA regulatory requirements, employers should address any questions to the RCRA hotline at (202) 382-3000 (in Washington, D.C.) or toll-free at (800) 424-9346 (outside Washington, D.C.). In addition, relevant State and local authorities should be contacted for information on any requirements they may have for the waste removal and disposal of this substance. RESPIRATORY PROTECTION * Conditions for respirator use Good industrial hygiene practice requires that engineering controls be used where feasible to reduce workplace concentrations of hazardous materials to the prescribed exposure limit. However, some situations may require the use of respirators to control exposure. Respirators must be worn if the ambient concentration of tert-butyl acetate exceeds prescribed exposure limits. Respirators may be used (1) before engineering controls have been installed, (2) during work operations such as maintenance or repair activities that involve unknown exposures, (3) during operations that require entry into tanks or closed vessels, and (4) during emergency situations. If the use of respirators is necessary, the only respirators permitted are those that have been approved by NIOSH and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). * Respiratory protection program Employers should institute a complete respiratory protection program that, at a minimum, complies with the requirements of OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard [29 CFR 1910.134]. Such a program must include respirator selection (see Table 1), an evaluation of the worker's ability to perform the work while wearing a respirator, the regular training of personnel, fit testing, periodic workplace monitoring, and regular respirator maintenance, inspection, and cleaning. The implementation of an adequate respiratory protection program (including selection of the correct respirator) requires that a knowledgeable person be in charge of the program and that the program be evaluated regularly. For additional information on the selection and use of respirators and on the medical screening of respirator users, consult the NIOSH Respirator Decision Logic and the NIOSH Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection. Table 1 lists the respiratory protection that NIOSH recommends for workers exposed to tert-butyl acetate. The recommended protection may vary over time because of changes in the exposure limit for tert-butyl acetate or in respirator certification requirements. Users are therefore advised to determine periodically whether new information is available. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Protective clothing should be worn to prevent skin contact with tert-butyl acetate. Chemical protective clothing should be selected on the basis of available performance data, manufacturers' recommendations, and evaluation of the clothing under actual conditions of use. No reports have been published on the resistance of various protective clothing materials to tert-butyl acetate permeation; however, the following materials have been tested against a chemically similar substance [n-butyl acetate] and may withstand permeation for more than 4 but fewer than 8 hours: polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene/ ethylene vinyl alcohol, and Teflon. Since specific test data are not available for tert-butyl acetate, the information provided here should be considered as a guideline only. If permeability data are not readily available, protective clothing manufacturers should be requested to provide information on the best chemical protective clothing for workers to wear when they are exposed to tert-butyl acetate. If tert-butyl acetate is dissolved in an organic solvent, the permeation properties of both the solvent and the mixture must be considered when selecting personal protective equipment and clothing. Safety glasses, goggles, or faceshields should be worn during operations in which tert-butyl acetate might contact the eyes (e.g., through splashes of solution). Eyewash fountains and emergency showers should be available within the immediate work area whenever the potential exists for eye or skin contact with tert-butyl acetate. Contact lenses should not be worn if the potential exists for tert-butyl acetate exposure.
ACGIH [1986]. Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 5th edition. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. ACGIH [1989]. TLVs. Threshold limit values and biological exposure indices for 1989-1990. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. [CFR] Code of Federal regulations. Title 29 (Department of Labor), Parts 1910.1000 and 1910.1200. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register. NIOSH [1984]. NIOSH manual of analytical methods. 3rd edition, Volume 1. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH [1987a]. NIOSH guide to industrial respiratory protection. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 87-116. NIOSH [1987c]. Respirator decision logic. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 87-108. NIOSH [1988]. Testimony of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's proposed rule: 29 CFR 1910, Docket No. H-020, August 2, 1988. NIOSH policy statements. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Proctor NH, Hughes JP, Fischman ML [1988]. Chemical hazards of the workplace. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Company.
ACGIH [1986]. Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 5th edition. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. AIHA [1988]. Odor thresholds for chemicals with established occupational health standards. Akron, OH: American Industrial Hygiene Association. [CFR] Code of Federal regulations. Title 49 (Department of Transportation). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register. [CFR] Code of Federal regulations. Title 29 (Department of Labor), Parts 1910.1000 and 1910.1200. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register. DOT [1987]. 1987 Emergency response guidebook, guide 26. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration. Forsberg K, Mansdorf SZ [1989]. Quick selection guide to chemical protective clothing. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Hawley's condensed chemical dictionary [1987]. Sax NI, Lewis RJ. 11th edition. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. HSDB [1986]. tert-Butyl acetate. Bethesda, MD: The Hazardous Substances Data Bank, National Library of Medicine. ITI [1986]. Toxic and hazardous industrial chemicals safety manual. Tokyo, Japan: International Technical Information Institute. Merck Index [1983]. Windholz M. 10th edition. Rahway, NJ: Merck & Company. NIOSH [January 1981]. NIOSH/OSHA occupational health guidelines. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-123. NIOSH [1987b]. NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 85-114. Proctor NH, Hughes JP [1978]. Chemical hazards of the workplace. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Company. RTECS [1990]. tert-Butyl acetate. Bethesda, MD: Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, National Library of Medicine. Sittig M [1985]. Handbook of toxic and hazardous chemicals. 2nd edition. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Publications. USCG [1984]. CHRIS (chemical hazards response information system) hazardous chemical data manual: tert-butyl acetate. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Commandant Instruction M16465.12A. Weast RC [1984]. CRC handbook of chemistry and physics. 64th edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc.
Table 1. NIOSH recommended respiratory protection for workers exposed to tert-butyl acetate*
* The OSHA PEL is 200 ppm (950 mg/m3) as an 8-hour TWA. No NIOSH REL has been issued. ** Only NIOSH/MSHA-approved equipment should be used. Also note the following:
(++) Represents 25 percent of the lower explosive limit
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