Santodonato, J; Bosch, S; Meylan, W; Becker, J; Neal, M
This report summarizes and evaluates toxicologic information relevant to an occupational hazard assessment of ethylene-glycol-ethers, including chemical and physical properties, production and use, extent of occupational exposure, pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion), animal carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, and epidemiological studies. Ethylene-glycol-monomethyl-ether (109864), ethylene-glycol-monoethyl-ether (110805), ethylene-glycol-monobutyl-ether (111762), and ethylene-glycol-monophenyl-ether (122996) are important slow evaporating solvents. They are also important raw materials for the synthesis of various acetate and phthalate derivatives. Occupational exposure is widespread and diverse. Dermal absorption is important when evaluating total exposure. Animals absorb these ethers well by all routes, with little bioaccumulation. Metabolism probably involves the action of alcohol and aldehyde-dehydrogenase enzymes to yield the corresponding alkoxyacetic-acid as the main metabolite, with urinary excretion. Short term genotoxicity assays in yeast, Drosophila, bacteria, and cultured mammalian cells confirm the absence of carcinogenicity. However, sister chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberrations were observed in cultured Chinese-hamster ovary cells due to ethylene-glycol-monoethyl-ether. While case reports and cross sectional investigations are available, epidemiological data is not. Mixed chemical exposure of workers and the inadequacy of air sampling information alone are complications.