Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1984;54(1):73-81.
doi: 10.1007/BF00378730.

Methyl ethyl ketone exposure in industrial workers. Uptake and kinetics

L Perbellini, F Brugnone, P Mozzo, V Cocheo, D Caretta

Methyl ethyl ketone exposure in industrial workers. Uptake and kinetics

L Perbellini et al. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1984.

Abstract

Exposure to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was studied in workers occupationally exposed in industrial workplaces. Alveolar concentrations of MEK were compared with environmental exposure and with blood MEK concentrations. Urinary excretion of MEK and its metabolite, acetylmethylcarbinol , were compared with environmental exposure. The solubility of MEK was also studied in human body tissues which allowed us to estimate the distribution and kinetics of MEK by means of data computing on a multicompartimental mathematic model. The alveolar MEK concentration was correlated with the environmental MEK concentration and corresponded to 30% of it. Blood MEK concentration was correlated with alveolar MEK concentration and corresponded to 104-116 times the alveolar concentration and 31-35 times the environmental concentration. Urinary MEK excretion was correlated with environmental MEK exposure and the urinary excretion of acetylmethylcarbinol . The mean urinary MEK concentration was 4.8 times the mean environmental MEK concentration. The MEK solubility in the human tissues (brain, kidney, lung, fat, heart, muscles and liver) turned out to be similar to that found in blood (blood/air = 183). The amount of MEK and its metabolite, acetylmethylcarbinol , eliminated by the kidney corresponded together to 0.1% of the alveolar MEK uptake.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Br J Anaesth. 1973 Apr;45(4):319-34 - PubMed
    1. Crit Rev Toxicol. 1980 Oct;7(4):279-356 - PubMed
    1. Br J Ind Med. 1983 May;40(2):199-203 - PubMed
    1. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1976 Jun;36(3):511-22 - PubMed
    1. J Neurol. 1978 Dec 7;219(3):159-70 - PubMed

Publication types