Document VKEE3wbrOEwgxJLmYaLNM38og

TOXIC EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO VAPORS OF ALIPHATIC AMINES HEINRICH BR1EGER, M.D. AND WILLIAM A. HODES, A.B. PHILADELPHIA ALIPHATIC amines have been studied by pharmacologists as vasoconstrictors, bronchodilators or analeptics and, more recently, as analgetics and local anes thetics. Not as much attention has been paid to the toxic hazard which may arise from their manufacture or industrial use. Hanzlik*1 observed mild irritation of the eyes on exposure to the vapors of normal butylamines; acute exposure to dibutylamine in a concentration of about 1: 75,000 was fatal for rats. Carpenter, Smyth and Pozzani2 found that the acute toxicity of the same vapor is moderate. Table 1.--Physical Properties of Monoethylamine, Diethylamihe and Triethylamine Monoethylamine Specific gravity 20 C./20 C............ ...... 0.78-0.80 Flash point ..................................... Freezing point ............................... ...... (70% aqueous solution) -- 80.6 0. Boiling point ................................. ...... 16.6 O. . Vapor pressure (atmospheres)...... ...... 1:14 20 C. Diethylamine 0.70-0.71 Below 0 F. (open cup) -- 50.0 C. 55.5 O. 1.00 55.4 C. Triethylamine 0.74-0.76 20 C. (open cup) --114.8 C. 89.5 O. 0.097 25 C. Treon, Sigmon, Kitzmiller and Heyroth 3 have seen severe irritation of the respira tory mucosa in several species of animals from the inhalation of diisopropylamine vapor in concentrations from 261 to 2,207 p. p. m. after various periods of exposure. Opacity of the cornea resulted from exposure to every concentration used; hydropic degeneration and cloudy swelling occurred when animals were exposed to 597 This investigation was supported by a grant from Sharpies Chemicals, Inc. From the Division of Industrial Medicine, Jefferson Medical 'College of Philadelphia. 1. Hanzlik, P. J.: Toxicity and- Actions of the Normal Butylamines, J. Pharmacol. & Exper. Therap. 20:435, 1923. 2. Carpenter, C. P.; Smyth, H. F., Jr., and Pozzani, U. C.: The Assay of Acute Vapor Toxicity, and the Grading and Interpretation of Results on 96 Chemical Compounds, J. Indust, flyg. & Toxicol. 31:343, 1949. '! 3. Treon, J. F.; Sigmon, H.; Kitzmiller, Ki V., and Heyroth, F. F.: The Physiological Response of Animals to Respiratory Exposure to the Vapors of Diisopropylamine, J. Indust, Hyg. & Toxicpl. 31:142, 1949. 287