Abstract |
Summary information on ethyl acrylate indicates that the oral LD50 values range from 550 to 1000 mg/kg for rats, >280 to <400 mg/kg for rabbits, and 1800 mg/kg for mice. The dermal LD50 for rats is 1800 mg/kg, and for rabbits, is 1200 to 1800 mg/kg. Inhalation LC50s (exposure durations not reported) are about 1800 ml/cubic meters for rats, and about 4000 ml/cubic meters for mice. Treatment of shaven dorsal skin of rabbits with undiluted ethyl acrylate for 1 to 15 minutes (occlusive) caused marked skin irritation, while necrosis developed with a 20-hour exposure (occlusive). Exposure of the rabbit eye to 0.05 or 0.1 ml neat ethyl acrylate led to redness and swelling of the conjunctive and transient corneal opacification. Skin sensitization tests with guinea pigs have provided negative results. Oral gavage administration of 0.4 ml/kg was fatal to 2/2 rabbits after 1 or 2 doses, while similar administration of 31.5 mg/kg 5 days/week for 5 weeks caused only reduced weight gain in 2/2 rabbits. Effects were reversible at the end of exposure. Systemic toxicity has not been demonstrated in chronic toxicity tests with exposure by oral gavage (rats and mice - up to 200 mg/kg for 103 weeks; beagle dogs - 1000 ppm for 2 years), or inhalation exposure (rats and mice - up to 920 mg/m3). Ethyl acrylate was not a reproductive toxicant to rats exposed by oral gavage to up to 400 mg/kg on post-coitum days 7 to 16, nor by inhalation exposure to up to 150 ml/m3 for 6 hours, post-coitum days 6 to 15. It is metabolized rapidly by ester cleavage or by binding to sulfhydryl groups. |