Vinyl toxicity

Oral toxicity is very low isobutyl vinyl ether has LD q of 17 mL/kg for white rats. 

Acrolein is highly toxic by skin absorption. Brief contact may result in the absorption of harmful and possibly fatal amounts of material. Skin contact causes severe local irritation and chemical bums. Poly(vinyl chloride) coated protective gloves should be used (99). 

Properties. Properties of perfluoropropyl vinyl ether [1623-05-8] (PPVE), a colorless, odorless Hquid (mol wt 266) are shown in Table 1. Perfluoropropyl vinyl ether is an extremely flammable Hquid and bums with a colorless flame. It is significantly less toxic than hexafluoropropylene the average lethal concentration (ALC) is 50,000 ppm (10). 

Acute inhalation exposure of rats to 200,000 ppm VF for 30 minutes or more produced weak anaesthesia and no deaths (90). In rats VF is only slightly metabolized at a rate of one-fifth that of vinyl chloride (91—95). An extensive program of toxicity testing of vinyl fluoride is ia progress (96,97). 

Methyl vinyl ketone is used as a comonomer in photodegradable plastics, and is an intermediate in the synthesis of steroids and vitamin A. It is highly toxic and faciUties handling over a threshold of 100 lbs (45.5 kg) are subject to special OSHA documentation regulations (273). 

Polymer Solvent. Sulfolane is a solvent for a variety of polymers, including polyacrylonitrile (PAN), poly(vinyhdene cyanide), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(vinyl fluoride), and polysulfones (124—129). Sulfolane solutions of PAN, poly(vinyhdene cyanide), and PVC have been patented for fiber-spinning processes, in which the relatively low solution viscosity, good thermal stabiUty, and comparatively low solvent toxicity of sulfolane are advantageous. Powdered perfluorocarbon copolymers bearing sulfo or carboxy groups have been prepared by precipitation from sulfolane solution with toluene at temperatures below 300°C. Particle sizes of 0.5—100 p.m result. 

Vinyl chloride is Hsted as "ethene, chloro-" on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory and on the Canadian Domestic Substances List (DSL). It is Hsted as "chloroethylene" on the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances (EINECS), bearing the identification number 2008 310 (149). 

Vinyl acetate has moderate acute toxicity if ingested. The LD q for oral ingestion in rats is 2.9 g/kg body weight for absorption through the skin, the LD q in rats is more than 5 mL/kg in 24 h. First-aid procedures to be followed in the event of overexposure to vinyl acetate are as foUow ... 

The use of poly(vinyl acetate) or copolymer emulsions eliminates the need for expensive, flammable, odorous, or toxic solvents and the need for the recovery of such solvents. They are easy to apply and the equipment is easy to clean with water, if done promptly. Emulsions also offer the advantage of high sohds content with fluidity, siace the viscosity of emulsions are iadependent of the molecular weight of the resia iu the particles. 

Poly(vinyl alcohol) has a low oral toxicity rating. The oral LD q is higher than 10,000 mg/kg (rats). Concentrations of up to 10,000 mg/L in water were tested for toxicity to bluegik sunfish. No mortaUty or response indicative of intoxication was observed (283). 

Poly(methyl vinyl ether-i o-maleic anhydride) and their monoalkyl ester derivatives have been shown on rabbits to be neither primary irritants nor primary sensiti2ers to skin and eyes. The acute oral toxicities on white rats of the two copolymers are, respectively, 29 g/kg and 25 g/kg body weight. 

Toxicity Data on Af- Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidinone. Results of a chronic inhalation study in rats warrant a review of industrial hygiene practices to assure that VP vapor concentrations are maintained at a safe level. One of the manufacturers, ISP, recommends that an appropriate workplace exposure limit be set at 0.1 ppm (vapor) (9). Additionally, normal hygienic practices and precautions are recommended, such as prompt removal from skin and avoidance of ingestion. In case of accidental eye contact, immediately flush with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Refer to the manufacturers Material Safety Data Sheets for more detailed information. Table 3 provides some toxicity data. 

Table 3. Summary of Toxicity Data for A Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidinone...

Poly(A/-vinyl-2-pyrrohdinone) (PVP) is undoubtedly the best-characterized and most widely studied A/-vinyl polymer. It derives its commercial success from its biological compatibiUty, low toxicity, film-forming and adhesive characteristics, unusual complexing abiUty, relatively inert behavior toward salts and acids, and thermal and hydrolytic stabiUty. 

Besides being slower, anaerobic treatment is more difficult to manage and can generate by-products that are more mobile or toxic than the original compound, for example, the daughter products of TCE, ie, dichloroethenes and vinyl chloride. It requires a longer acclimation period which means slower startup times in the field. The microbial processes are less well understood, and hence, ate less controlled than for aerobic systems. 

Butyl glycol ethers, the largest volume derivatives of -butyl alcohol used ia solvent appHcations (10), are obtained from the reaction of 1-butanol with ethylene oxide. The most important of these derivatives, 2-butoxyethanol, is used principally ia vinyl and acryHc paints as well as ia lacquers and varnishes. It is also employed ia aqueous cleaners to solubilize organic surfactants. 2-Butoxyethanol [111-76-2] has achieved some growth at the expense of the lower alkoxyethanols (ie, methoxy and ethoxyethanol) because of 2-butoxyethanol s lower toxicity. 

Formate esters generally become less toxic as the alcohol moiety increases up to C. With this increase in alkyl si2e, the LD q (oral, rabbit) increases from 1.62 g/kg for methyl formate to 3.0 g/kg for isoamyl formate [110-45-2]. In comparison, both aHyl and vinyl formates are more toxic than their saturated analogues. 

Chloroethyl vinyl ether [110-75-8] M 106.6, b 109°/760mm, d 1.048, n 1.437. Washed repeatedly with equal volumes of water made slightly alkaline with KOH, dried with sodium, and distd under vacuum. TOXIC. 

Most toxicity problems associated with the finished product arise from the nature of the additives and seldom from the polymer. Mention should, however, be made of poly(vinyl carbazole) and the polychloroacrylates which, when monomer is present, can cause unpleasant effects, whilst in the 1970s there arose considerable discussion on possible links between vinyl chloride and a rare form of cancer known as angiosarcoma of the liver. 

A further class of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer exists where the vinyl acetate content is of the order of 3 mole %. These materials are best considered as a modification of low-density polyethylene, where the low-cost comonomer introduces additional irregularity into the structure, reducing crystallinity and increasing flexibility, softness and, in the case of film, surface gloss. They have extensive clearance as non-toxic materials. 

In general the nitroso rubbers also suffer from a poor resistanee to ionising radiation, sensitivity to degradation by organie bases, highly toxic degradation products and an exceptionally high cost. The advent of the rubbers based on perfluorofmethyl vinyl ether) considered above and of the phosphonitrilic elastomers considered below would appear to put the commercial future of these materials in extreme doubt. 

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