IRRITATION EFFECTS FROM EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURE TO N-BUTYL ACETATE

The irritation produced by acute exposure to n-butyl acetate in human subjects without any history of occupational solvent exposure was stud ied in three experiments. Exposure levels tested in the different expe riments were 350, 700, 1,050, and 1,400 mg/m3 in 20 min sessions, 70 a nd 1,400 mg/m3 in 20 min sessions, and 70 and 700 mg/m3 in 4 h session s. Rating scales, various measures of eye irritation, and pulmonary fu nctions were used to evaluate the irritation produced by the exposures in different parts of the study. The results indicate only very sligh t irritation from the exposures as revealed by categorical ratings, ma gnitude estimation, and some of the clinical measures of eye irritatio n and pulmonary functions, such as eye redness, lipid layer thickness, and bronchial responsiveness. These essentially negative results indi cate the need to explore and develop the utility of new/different meth ods of quantifying irritative effects of exposure to various substance s. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.