ToxFAQs™ for Acrylonitrile
Spanish: Acrilonitrilo
CAS#: 107-13-1
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about acrylonitrile. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
Higlights
Exposure to acrylonitrile occurs mostly from breathing it in the air. Acrylonitrile primarily affects the nervous system and lungs. If it is spilled on the skin, the skin will turn red and blisters may form. This chemical has been found in at least 3 of the 1,177 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is acrylonitrile?
Acrylonitrile is a colorless, liquid,
man-made chemical with a sharp, onion- or garlic-like odor.
It can be dissolved in water and evaporates quickly.
Acrylonitrile is used to make other chemicals
such as plastics, synthetic rubber, and acrylic fibers. A
mixture of acrylonitrile and carbon tetrachloride was used
as a pesticide in the past; however, all pesticide uses have
stopped.
What happens to acrylonitrile when it enters the environment?
- Acrylonitrile may be found in the soil, water, or air
near industrial sites where it is made, or at hazardous
waste sites where it has been disposed of.
- Because acrylonitrile evaporates easily, most of it is
released to the air from facilities where it is produced
and used.
- In air, acrylonitrile breaks down quickly (about half
will disappear within 5 to 50 hours) by reacting with other
chemicals and sunlight.
- Acrylonitrile can enter groundwater by filtering through
the soil, but it is not commonly found in groundwater.
- It is broken down by bacteria in surface water.
- When it is released to soil, some of it will be broken
down by bacteria, but most of it will evaporate to the air
or filter to groundwater.
- Acrylonitrile does not build up in the food chain.
How might I be exposed to acrylonitrile?
- Unless you live near a factory where acrylonitrile is
made or near a hazardous waste site that contains acrylonitrile,
you are unlikely to be exposed to it.
- Breathing contaminated air near hazardous waste sites
that contain acrylonitrile.
- Working in, or living near, industries where it is manufactured
or used.
- Swallowing food and water that contains small amounts
of acrylonitrile.
How can acrylonitrile affect my health?
Breathing high concentrations of acrylonitrile
will cause nose and throat irritation, tightness in the chest,
difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness, weakness, headache,
impaired judgment, and convulsions. These symptoms usually
disappear when exposure is stopped. If spilled on the skin,
acrylonitrile will burn the skin and produce redness and blisters.
Animal studies show effects from breathing
acrylonitrile. These effects include irritation to the nasal
cavity and lungs, changes in the breathing rate, fluid accumulation
in the lungs, weakness, and paralysis. Decreased fertility
and birth defects have been observed in some laboratory animals
exposed to high concentrations of acrylonitrile in air or
drinking water.
There is evidence that children are much
more sensitive to acrylonitrile than adults. In a few cases,
children have died following exposure to acrylonitrile vapors
that caused only minor nose and throat irritation in adults.
How likely is acrylonitrile to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that acrylonitrile may reasonably be
anticipated to cause cancer in people. Studies of people are
inconclusive, while animal studies have shown cancers of the
brain and mammary glands.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to acrylonitrile?
There is a test that can detect acrylonitrile
in blood. Other tests can be used to measure the breakdown
products (metabolites) of acrylonitrile in urine. One of the
metabolites (cyanide) could come from other chemicals you
might have been exposed to, so it is not a definite indicator
of acrylonitrile exposure. The results of these tests could
also be affected by cigarette smoking. Special equipment is
needed for these tests, and they are not routinely available
in a doctor's office.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The EPA recommends that levels in lakes
and streams should be limited to 0.058 parts of acrylonitrile
per billion parts of water (0.058 ppb) to prevent possible
health effects from drinking water or eating fish contaminated
with acrylonitrile. Any release to the environment greater
than 100 pounds of acrylonitrile must be reported to the EPA.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a limit of 2 ppm over an 8-hour workday, 40-hour
workweek.
The National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that average workplace
air should not exceed 1 part per million (1 ppm) acrylonitrile
averaged over a 10-hour period.
The federal recommendations have been
updated as of July 1999.
Glossary
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
National Priorities List: A list of the
nation's worst hazardous waste sites.
Pesticide: A substance that kills pests.
ppb: Parts per billion
ppm: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1999. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents. Volume III ā Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposures: Acrylonitrile. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1990. Toxicological Profile for acrylonitrile. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Office of Innovation and Analytics, Toxicology Section
4770 Buford Highway
Chamblee, GA 30341-3717
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: Contact CDC-INFO
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.