Low-toxicity

Tetracyclines are produced by various Streptomyces strains and are extensively applied in human and veterinary medicine. They display a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in combination with low toxicity and can be applied orally. The most commonly prescribed tetracycline drugs are tetracycline itself and oxytetracycline, an oxygenated derivative, which are directly isolated from fermentation liquors, and doxycycline whose partial synthesis from oxy-... 

Uses. Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol is of interest in chemical and related industries where low toxicity and minimal environmental impact are important (134). For many years tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol has been used as a specialty organic solvent. The fastest growing appHcations are in formulations for cleaners (135) and paint strippers (136), often as a replacement for chlorinated solvents (137). Other major appHcations include formulations for crop sprays, water-based paints, and the dyeing and finishing of textiles and leathers. Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol also finds appHcation as an intermediate in pharmaceutical appHcations. 

The reaction with sodium sulfite or bisulfite (5,11) to yield sodium-P-sulfopropionamide [19298-89-6] (C3H7N04S-Na) is very useful since it can be used as a scavenger for acrylamide monomer. The reaction proceeds very rapidly even at room temperature, and the product has low toxicity. Reactions with phosphines and phosphine oxides have been studied (12), and the products are potentially useful because of thek fire retardant properties. Reactions with sulfide and dithiocarbamates proceed readily but have no appHcations (5). However, the reaction with mercaptide ions has been used for analytical purposes (13)). Water reacts with the amide group (5) to form hydrolysis products, and other hydroxy compounds, such as alcohols and phenols, react readily to form ether compounds. Primary aUphatic alcohols are the most reactive and the reactions are compHcated by partial hydrolysis of the amide groups by any water present. 

Health and safety information is available from the manufacturer of every adhesive sold in the United States. The toxicology of a particular adhesive is dependent upon its components, which mn the gamut of polymeric materials from natural products which often exhibit low toxicity to isocyanates which can cause severe allergic reactions. Toxicological information may be found in articles discussing the manufacture of the specific chemical compounds that comprise the adhesives. 

Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals. The main use of hexadecanol (cetyl alcohol) is in cosmetics (qv) and pharmaceuticals (qv), where it and octadecanol (stearyl alcohol) are used extensively as emoUient additives and as bases for creams, Hpsticks, ointments, and suppositories. Octadecenol (oleyl alcohol) is also widely used (47), as are the nonlinear alcohols. The compatibiHty of heavy cut alcohols and other cosmetic materials or active dmg agents, their mildness, skin feel, and low toxicity have made them the preferred materials for these appHcations. Higher alcohols and their derivatives are used in conditioning shampoos, in other personal care products, and in ingested materials such as vitamins (qv) and sustained release tablets (see Controlled RELEASE technology). 

Product Toxicology. The stmcture—toxicity relationships of organophosphoms compounds have been extensively researched and are relatively well understood (138—140). The phosphoms-based flame retardants as a class exhibit only moderate-to-low toxicity. NIOSH or EPA compilations and manufacturers safety data sheets show the following LD q values for rats, for representative commercial phosphoms flame retardants ... 

Applications. For use as a gaseous dielectric, other specific properties are needed in addition to high breakdown strength, and a compromise must be made between electrical and mechanical requirements. Desirable properties include low toxicity, thermal stabiUty toward materials of constmction. 

Uses. The chemical inertness, thermal stability, low toxicity, and nonflammability of PFCs coupled with their unusual physical properties suggest many useflil applications. However, the high cost of raw materials and manufacture has limited commercial production to a few, small-volume products. Carbon tetrafluoride and hexafluoroethane are used for plasma, ion-beam, or sputter etching of semiconductor devices (17) (see loN implantation). Hexafluoroethane and octafluoropropane have some applications as dielectric gases, and perfluorocyclobutane is used in minor amounts as a dielectric fluid. Perfluoro-1,3-dimethyl cyclohexane is used as an inert, immersion coolant for electronic equipment, and perfluoro-2-methyldecatin is used for... 

The metallic salts of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid can be prepared by reaction of the acid with the corresponding hydroxide or carbonate or by reaction of sulfonyl fluoride with the corresponding hydroxide. The salts are hydroscopic but can be dehydrated at 100°C under vacuum. The sodium salt has a melting point of 248°C and decomposes at 425°C. The lithium salt of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid [33454-82-9] CF SO Li, commonly called lithium triflate, is used as a battery electrolyte in primary lithium batteries because solutions of it exhibit high electrical conductivity, and because of the compound s low toxicity and excellent chemical stabiUty. It melts at 423°C and decomposes at 430°C. It is quite soluble in polar organic solvents and water. Table 2 shows the electrical conductivities of lithium triflate in comparison with other lithium electrolytes which are much more toxic (24). 

Citric Acid. By far the most extensively used food acidulant is citric acid (qv) [77-92-9] C HgO. This acid is favored because of its solubiUty, fresh flavor character, low cost, and low toxicity. It is commercially synthesized by fermentation (qv) of molasses hy Aspergillus niger (6). 

Biorational approaches have proven useful in the development of classes of herbicides which inhibit essential metaboHc pathways common to all plants and thus are specific to plants and have low toxicity to mammalian species. Biorational herbicide development remains a high risk endeavor since promising high activities observed in the laboratory may be nullified by factors such as limitations in plant uptake and translocation, and the instabiHty or inactivity of biochemical en2yme inhibitors under the harsher environmental conditions in the field. Despite these recogni2ed drawbacks, biorational design of herbicides has shown sufficient potential to make the study of herbicide modes of action an important and growing research area. 

Petroleum (qv) products dominate lubricant production with a 98% share of the market for lubricating oils and greases. While lower cost leads to first consideration of these petroleum lubricants, production of various synthetic lubricants covered later has been expanding to take advantage of special properties such as stability at extreme temperatures, chemical inertness, fire resistance, low toxicity, and environmental compatibility. 

Its relatively low toxicity is probably the result of very low aqueous solubility (0.002 g/L) and lack of reactivity with acidic (HCl) digestive fluids. 

Because of its position in the Periodic Table, molybdenum has sometimes been linked to chromium (see Chromiumand chromium alloys) or to other heavy metals. However, unlike those elements, molybdenum and its compounds have relatively low toxicity, as shown in Table 3. On the other hand, molybdenum has been identified as a micronutrient essential to plant life (11,12) (see Fertilizers), and plays a principal biochemical role in animal health as a constituent of several important enzyme systems (see Mineral nutrients). 

Environmental Concerns. Few data on the environmental effects of the nitroparaffins are available. However, they are known to be of low toxicity to the fathead minnow (109). Based on their uv spectra, the nitroparaffins would be expected to undergo photolysis in the atmosphere. The estimated half-life of 2-nitropropane in the atmosphere is 3.36 h (110). Various values have been determined for the half-life of nitromethane, but it is similar to 2-nitropropane in persistence (111). Reviews of the available data on the environmental effects of nitromethane and 2-nitropropane have been pubhshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (112,113). 

LLDPE by itself does not present any health-related hazard on account of its chemical inertness and low toxicity. Consequently, film, containers, and container Hds made from LLDPE are used on a large scale in food and dmg packaging. Some LLDPE grades produced with unsupported metallocene catalysts have an especially high purity due to high catalyst productivity and a low contamination level of resins with catalyst residue. FDA approved the use of film manufactured from these resins for food contact and for various medical appHcations (80). However, if LLDPE articles contain fillers, processing aids, or colorants, thek health factors must then be judged separately. 

To overcome these difficulties, drilling fluids are treated with a variety of mud lubricants available from various suppHers. They are mostly general-purpose, low toxicity, nonfluorescent types that are blends of several anionic or nonionic surfactants and products such as glycols and glycerols, fatty acid esters, synthetic hydrocarbons, and vegetable oil derivatives. Extreme pressure lubricants containing sulfurized or sulfonated derivatives of natural fatty acid products or petroleum-base hydrocarbons can be quite toxic to marine life and are rarely used for environmental reasons. Diesel and mineral oils were once used as lubricants at levels of 3 to 10 vol % but this practice has been curtailed significantly for environmental reasons. 

Dimethyl terephthalate also shows low toxicity. Inhalation by rats of dust for 4 h/d for 58 d showed no toxicological effects at levels up to 86... 

Significant use properties of poly(ethylene oxide) are complete water solubiHty, low toxicity, unique solution rheology, complexation with organic acids, low ash content, and thermoplasticity. 

Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications. On account of its low toxicity and unique properties, poly(ethylene oxide) is utilized in a variety of pharmaceutical and biomedical appHcations. 

Health and Safety Factors. Phloroglucinol has low toxicity by ingestion. Prolonged severe overexposure may dismpt the thyroid function. High dust concentration may cause respiratory irritation the product is irritating to eyes and skin. Toxicity data include LD q oral (rat) = 5800 mg/kg ... 

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