Glycols health hazards

More recently, storage systems based on MDI have become available which pose less of a health hazard than MDI/MOCA systems. Both polyethers and polyesters are used, with glycols being the usual chain extenders. 

Category D Organic solvents - represented by a transport system which is wholly and completely organic. The disposal solvents can contain solutes and thereby act as transport system for a host of hazardous constituents. This is particularly apparent for polar fluids such as kerosene, xylene, ethylene glycole, and isoparopol alcohol. Special equipment must be used to avoid health hazards from fumes. 

List of Some Health Hazard Causing Solvents, Monomers and Chemicals... Details A liquid, used in the production of styrene glycol and in epoxy resins. 

Toxicological and carcinogenic aspects are very important for plasticizers destined to be used in toy manufacture but they are not known at this time for most of these plasticizers to ensure their safe use in this application. Presently known facts seem to indicate that some of the plasticizers may be potentially useful to replace phthalates. A report prepared for the European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise indicates a lower health risk with acetyl tributyl citrate, ATBC. It was also reported that the substitution of phthalates by benzoates (such as the diethylene glycol dibenzoate), alkylsulfonic phenyl esters, and possibly some adipates, trimellitates, sebacates and azelates should reduce health hazards however it is also recognized that the information available for DOA and ATBC is much less extensive than that available for phthalates. 

Obviously, the biodegradability of a given plasticizer is a fundamental prerequisite for its use in biodegradable plastics such as PHAs, as are any possible health hazards associated with it or with its decomposition products. Both aspects have been taken into account in studies involving additives such as citrate-based plasticizers [141, 142], or the new benzoate plasticizer, Benzoflex 2888, a blend of diethylene-, triethylene-, and dipropylene-glycol dibenzoate [143]. 

The preferred polyesters are adipates, ethylene butylene adipate being favoured. The isocyanate used is MDI, and pure MDI rather than crude (mixed isomers) is found to give a product with best performance. The toxic risk from MDI is much lower than from TDI it is reduced further because it is contained in the quasi-prepolymer prepared by the chemical manufacturer and presents no appreciable health hazard at moulding. Chain extenders are usually low molecular weight glycols, with butane glycol being especially used. Other additives are silicone surfactants to improve cell structure, catalyst, a hydrolytic stabilizer, to prevent hydrolysis of the polyester, and colourant. 

Regulatory DOT not regulated RCRA, CERCLA nonreportable SARA 311/312 Acute Health Hazard WHMIS D2B Canada NDSL Properties Lt. amber cl. liq. pungent odor sol. in glycols, water, alcohol insol. in oils, most solve. m.w. 340 sp.gr. 1.04 vise. 200 csl pour pt. 30 F flash pt. > 200 F pH 6-9 (5%) surf. tens. 38 dynes/cm (0.1%) Ross-Miles foam 17.5 cm (0.1%, initial) 33% min. act. in water... 

Doe JE Eurther studies on the toxicology of the glycol ethers with emphasis on rapid screening and hazard assessment. Environ Health Perspect 57 199-206, 1984... 

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