Chemical Sampling Information
	beta-Butyrolactone
Quick Links General Description Health Factors Monitoring Search    [use word(s)/phrase] Table of Contents By Name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z By CAS Number General Description Synonyms: 3-Hydroxybutanoic Acid, beta-Lactone; Hydroxybutyric Acid Lactone; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid, beta-Lactone; 4-Methyl-2-Oxetanone OSHA IMIS Code Number: B427 Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 3068-88-0 NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: RQ8050000 Chemical Description and Physical Properties: liquid molecular formula: C4H6O2 molecular weight: 86.09 boiling point: 71-73°C flash point: 60°C melting point: -43.5°C Health Factors International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carcinogenic classification: Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans [381 KB, PDF] Potential symptoms: No symptoms for this chemical are available. Health Effects: Known animal carcinogen (HE2); LD50 (oral, rat) is 17 ml/kg. Affected organs: Skin (where applied in animal carcinogenicity studies) Notes: OSHA does not have a PEL for ß-butyrolactone. ß-Butyrolactone can form adducts with the nucleosides, guanosine, adenosine and cytidine. Adduct formation with DNA and RNA have also been demonstrated. ß-Butyrolactone is metabolized to 2-hydroxybutyric acid by carboxylesterases in animal tissues from nasal turbinates, trachea, lungs and liver, with specific tissue activity decreasing in the order, rabbit > hamster > rat. Date Last Revised: 05/24/2007 Literature Basis: Dahl, A.R., Miller, S.C. and Petridou-Fischer, J.: Carboxylesterases in the respiratory tracts of rabbits, rats and Syrian hamsters. Toxicol. Lett. 36(2): 129-136, 1987. Hemminki, K.: Reactions of beta-propiolactone, beta-butyrolactone and gamma-butyrolactone with nucleic acids. Chem. Biol. Interact. 34(3): 323-331, 1981. No authors listed: beta-Butyrolactone. IARC Monogr. Eval. Carcinog. Risks Hum. 71(Pt. 3): 1317-1318, 1999. [381 KB, PDF] Smyth, H.F., Jr., Carpenter, C.P., Weil, C.S., Pozzani, U.C., Striegel, J.A. and Nycum, J.S.: Range-finding toxicity data: List VII. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 30(5): 470-476, 1969. Monitoring Methods used by OSHA Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method: sampling media: Charcoal Tube (100/50 mg sections, 20/40 mesh) analytical solvent: (95:5) Methylene Chloride:Methanol maximum volume: 10 Liters   maximum flow rate: 1 L/min current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/FID method reference: OSHA SLTC In-House File method classification: Not Validated analytical condition: Samples were received requesting cellosolves and butyrolactone. Phase equilibrium studies looked reasonable and gama-butyrolactone was found and confirmed on the "A" portion of a sample. All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.