Acetone Research Paper

Acetone is an extremely popular solvent that is used in rubber, resin, plastics, lacquers, varnishes, and rubber cements. It is also used in the creation of fats, oils, and waxes where is a primary component. Acetone has many uses in modern technology including those that relate to the medical field and various domestic uses. It is a very important organic compound found in everyday life, but it is also a toxin and can be an extremely dangerous environmental pollutant.

Acetone has many valuable uses in modern life and many American companies use Acetone as one of their key components to many household items. There are many ways that Acetone is used everyday. One of the most common purposes of Acetone and one of its most well known, is the use of Acetone as a primary ingredient in nail polish remover. Acetone is also commonly found in the use of artist and craft makers. Similar to nail polish remover, Acetone can be used in other artistic agents. A common use of Acetone is for the removal of residues off metals, glass, and porcelain.

It also commonly used as a remover of superglue. Acetone is also used greatly by make-up artists in order for them to easily remove skin glues and adhesives from fake moustaches and wig materials. There have been many claims that Acetone is dangerous to the humans due to concentrated exposure from these very sources, which has been proven true. Concentrated exposure has been proven on numerous occasions to have an adverse affect upon humans. There are many negative health effects from exposure to Acetone, and each one differs from different types of exposure.

According to the National Pesticide Information, there four ways exposure to Acetone can occur. The first is through inhalation, which can cause the symptoms of confusion, coughing, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, and unconsciousness. The second form of exposure is through direct contact with the skin. This can cause dry skin and rashes. The third way is exposure to the eyes, which can cause redness, irritation, pain, blurred vision, and possible cornea damage. The fourth and final way of exposure is from ingestion.

Ingestion can cause the same symptoms as inhalation as well as the possibility of nausea and vomiting. Clearly, there are many health risks to the exposure of Acetone. Along with these mentioned symptoms, there have also been studies that have shown possible dangerous and long-term health risks to concentrated exposure. These studies have shown that concentrated exposure has lead to fainting and long-term effects have shown to be kidney, liver, and nerve damages. There have also been studies that support that birth defects and male reproductive problems were also health concerns due to long-term exposure.

While there appear to many health risks due to exposure of Acetone, Acetone itself is actually considered a relatively safe compound if used properly. According to The National Health and Medical Research Council, Acetone has been rates Generally Recognized as Safe. Many manufacturing companies see Acetone as safe is exposure is minuscule and to the minimum. Because of this, Acetone can be found in beverages, pastries, desserts, processed and unprocessed foods, and is also found in a variety cosmetic and beauty products.

While Acetone is considered to be only slightly hazardous to many manufacturing companies, it is important to recognize what Acetone truly is. Allow Acetone exhibits relatively low dangerous properties, it can deadly when properly exposed. Acetone is still considered a toxic chemical and can cause devastating destruction if exposed as an environmental pollutant. While Acetone does not pose much threat to humans in moderate doses, just slight exposure to the environment can completely upset an ecosystem. When exposed to the environment, Acetone is typically found polluting groundwater areas.

This is due to Acetone’s high water solubility in water. In water, Acetone can cause great health defects to wildlife. Because common groundwater would be the home and drinking source of many organisms, Acetone pollution can quickly cause health problems and sicknesses in a surrounding ecosystem. The most common wildlife affected by Acetone are those that are water based. Studies have shown that fish and amphibians exposed to high levels of Acetone have numerous internal health defects, which include deformation to the reproductive organs.

Acetone has also been shown to cause a risk of oxygen depletion in these aquatic areas. Acetone is also known to evaporate relatively quickly, which allows it to dissipate and spread into the atmosphere even when properly disposed of. Acetone is one of the most used solvents in the world and is found in numerous consumer products. From an economic standpoint, Acetone is found to be a relatively safe chemical. However studies have shown that exposure to Acetone can lead to adverse effects in humans. Acetone has also been shown to be an extremely deadly environmental pollutant, which can destroy ecosystems.