2,2'-Methyliminodiethanol

Fire Extinguishing Agents Not to Be Used: Water.

Use foam, alcohol-resistant foam, dry powder, water spray.

Fresh air, rest.

Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower.

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. Refer for medical attention .

EYES: First check the victim for contact lenses and remove if present. Flush victim's eyes with water or normal saline solution for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital or poison control center. Do not put any ointments, oils, or medication in the victim's eyes without specific instructions from a physician. IMMEDIATELY transport the victim after flushing eyes to a hospital even if no symptoms (such as redness or irritation) develop.

Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.

Advice for firefighters: Wear self contained breathing apparatus for fire fighting if necessary.

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Environmental precautions: Do not let product enter drains. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Soak up with inert absorbent material and dispose of as hazardous waste. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.

SMALL SPILLS AND LEAKAGE: If you should spill this chemical, use absorbent paper to pick up all liquid spill material. Seal the absorbent paper, as well as any of your clothing which may be contaminated, in a vapor-tight plastic bag for eventual disposal. Wash any surfaces you may have contaminated with a strong soap and water solution. Do not reenter the contaminated area until the Safety Officer (or other responsible person) has verified that the area has been properly cleaned.

SRP: Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in air, soil or water; effects on animal, aquatic and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations. If it is possible or reasonable use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational harm/injury/toxicity or environmental contamination.

Product: Offer surplus and non-recyclable solutions to a licensed disposal company. Contact a licensed professional waste disposal service to dispose of this material. Contaminated packaging: Dispose of as unused product.

Principles and methods for destruction of chemical weapons: ... "Destruction of chemical weapons" means a process by which chemicals are converted in an essentially irreversible way to a form unsuitable for production of chemical weapons, and which in an irreversible manner renders munitions and other devices unusable as such. ... Each ... /nation/ shall determine how it shall destroy chemical weapons, except that the following processes may not be used: dumping in any body of water, land burial or open-pit burning. It shall destroy chemical weapons only at specifically designated and appropriately designed and equipped facilities. ... Each ... /nation/ shall ensure that its chemical weapons destruction facilities are constructed and operated in a manner to ensure the destruction of the chemical weapons; and that the destruction process can be verified under the provisions of this Convention.

Personal protection: filter respirator for organic gases and vapours adapted to the airborne concentration of the substance. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. Collect leaking and spilled liquid in covered containers as far as possible. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent. Then store and dispose of according to local regulations.

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES: Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Use personal protective equipment. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Ensure adequate ventilation. Environmental precautions: Do not let product enter drains.

Precautions for safe handling: Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid inhalation of vapor or mist.

Appropriate engineering controls: Handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practice. Wash hands before breaks and at the end of workday.

Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands.

SRP: The scientific literature for the use of contact lenses by industrial workers is inconsistent. The benefits or detrimental effects of wearing contact lenses depend not only upon the substance, but also on factors including the form of the substance, characteristics and duration of the exposure, the uses of other eye protection equipment, and the hygiene of the lenses. However, there may be individual substances whose irritating or corrosive properties are such that the wearing of contact lenses would be harmful to the eye. In those specific cases, contact lenses should not be worn. In any event, the usual eye protection equipment should be worn even when contact lenses are in place.

TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 1(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that N-methyldiethanolamine is expected to have very high mobility in soil(SRC). The pKa of N-methyldiethanolamine is 8.52(3), indicating that this compound will exist partially in the cation form in the environment and cations generally adsorb more strongly to soils containing organic carbon and clay than their neutral counterparts(4). Volatilization of the cation from moist soil is not expected because cations do not volatilize(SRC). Volatilization of neutral N-methyldiethanolamine from moist soil surfaces is not expected to be an important fate process(SRC) given an estimated Henry's Law constant of 3.1X10-11 atm-cu m/mole(SRC) based upon its vapor pressure, 2.0X10-4 mm Hg(5), and assigned value for water solubility of 1X10+6 mg/L (miscible)(6). N-Methyldiethanolamine is not expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon its vapor pressure(5). N-Methyldiethanolamine did not biodegrade after 28 days in activated sludge, but degraded >96% after 40 days in a continuous-flow experiment where the inoculum had time to acclimate(7). These data indicate that biodegradation of N-methyldiethanolamine in soil may only be important under acclimated conditions(7).

AQUATIC FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 1(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that N-methyldiethanolamine is not expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment(SRC). A pKa of 8.52(3) indicates N-methyldiethanolamine will exist partially in the cation form at pH values of 5 to 9 and, therefore, volatilization of the cation from water surfaces is not expected to be an important fate process(SRC). Volatilization of neutral N-methyldiethanolamine from water surfaces is not expected(4) based upon an estimated Henry's Law constant of 3.1X10-11 atm-cu m/mole(SRC) derived from its vapor pressure, 2.0X10-4 mm Hg(5), and assigned value for water solubility of 1X10+6 mg/L (miscible)(6). N-Methyldiethanolamine is not expected to undergo hydrolysis in the environment due to the lack of functional groups that hydrolyze under environmental conditions(4). According to a classification scheme(7), an estimated BCF of 3(SRC), from an estimated log Kow of -1.50(2) and a regression-derived equation(2), suggests the potential for bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low. N-Methyldiethanolamine did not biodegrade after 28 days in activated sludge, but degraded >96% after 40 days in a continuous-flow experiment where the inoculum had time to acclimate(8). These data indicate that biodegradation of N-methyldiethanolamine in water may only occur under acclimated conditions(8). [

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), N-methyldiethanolamine, which has a vapor pressure of 2.0X10-4 mm Hg at 25 °C(2), is expected to exist solely as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase N-methyldiethanolamine is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals(SRC); the half-life for this reaction in air is estimated to be 4 hours(SRC), calculated from its rate constant of 9.7X10-11 cu cm/molecule-sec at 25 °C(SRC) that was derived using a structure estimation method(3). N-Methyldiethanolamine does not contain chromophores that absorb at wavelengths >290 nm(4) and, therefore, is not expected to be susceptible to direct photolysis by sunlight(SRC).

IDENTIFICATION AND USE: N-Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) is a colorless liquid. MDEA is used as an intermediate, in absorption of acidic gases, as a catalyst for polyurethane foams, and pH control agent. HUMAN STUDIES: There are no data available. ANIMAL STUDIES: MDEA was irritating to the guinea pig skin, and showed potential to induce allergic contact dermatitis. MDEA caused slight eye irritation. In rats, recurrent skin application of MDEA produced a dose-related irritant effect, but there was no evidence for systemic cumulative or specific target organ or tissue toxicity. Rat dams showed dose-dependent skin irritation following repeated cutaneous application of MDEA during pregnancy. In addition, maternal toxicity was also present as anemia in dams receiving 1000 mg/kg/day. Despite maternal toxicity, there was no evidence of developmental effects. MDEA was not genotoxic when tested in the Salmonella/microsome reverse gene mutation test, the CHO/HGPRT forward gene mutation test, a sister chromatid exchange test in cultured CHO cells, and an in vivo peripheral blood micronucleus test in mice.

Cough. Nausea. Sore throat.

Redness. Pain.

Redness. Pain.

Nausea. Diarrhoea. Vomiting.

The following link will take the user to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Test Status of Agents Search page, which tabulates the results and current status of tests such as "Short-Term Toxicity Studies", "Long-term Carcinogenicity Studies", "Developmental Studies", "Genetic Toxicology Studies", etc., performed with this chemical. Testing status for N-methyldiethanolamine is available.[Available from, as of February 1, 2019: https://ntpsearch.niehs.nih.gov/?e=True&ContentType=Testing+Status]

EPA has released the Interactive Chemical Safety for Sustainability (iCSS) Dashboard. The iCSS Dashboard provides an interactive tool to explore rapid, automated (or in vitro high-throughput) chemical screening data generated by the Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast) project and the federal Toxicity Testing in the 21st century (Tox21) collaboration. /The title compound was tested by ToxCast and/or Tox21 assays/[USEPA; ICSS Dashboard Application; Available from, as of February 4, 2019: http://actor.epa.gov/dashboard/]

Using a structure estimation method based on molecular connectivity indices(1), the Koc of N-methyldiethanolamine can be estimated to be 1(SRC). According to a classification scheme(2), this estimated Koc value suggests that N-methyldiethanolamine is expected to have very high mobility in soil. The pKa of N-methyldiethanolamine is 8.52(3), indicating that this compound will exist partially in the cation form in the environment and cations generally adsorb more strongly to soils containing organic carbon and clay than their neutral counterparts(4).

N-Methyldiethanolamine's production and use in the absorption of acidic gases, catalyst for polyurethane foams, pH control agent(1) and surfactant intermediate(2) may result in its release to the environment through various waste streams(SRC). Its use as an agent precursor(3) and possible chemical warefare agent(4) will result in its direct release to the environment(SRC).

AEROBIC: N-Methyldiethanolamine (present at 40% solution obtained from a gas sweetening plant) was found to be non-biodegradable after 28 days during a standard batch test using activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant as inoculum(1). In a 40-day continuous flow experiment using activated sludge, the same solution containing N-methyldiethanolamine degraded >96% based on TOC which was probably due to the adaptation of the microorganisms to the test substance(1). N-Methyldiethanolamine, added at daily increments of 15 mg/L, reached 40.0% of its BOD during a five day biochemical oxygen demand test using acclimated sewage culture(2). The biodegradation half-life of N-methyldiethanolamine was reported as 11.6 and 10.0 hours in 3 and 7% hyper saline wastewater solutions, respectively(3).

An estimated BCF of 3 was calculated in fish for N-methyldiethanolamine(SRC), using an estimated log Kow of -1.50(1) and a regression-derived equation(1). According to a classification scheme(2), this BCF suggests the potential for bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low.

A pKa of 8.52(1) indicates N-methyldiethanolamine will exist partially in the cation form at pH values of 5 to 9 and, therefore, volatilization from water surfaces of the cation is not expected to be an important fate process(SRC). The Henry's Law constant for neutral N-methyldiethanolamine is estimated as 3.1X10-11 atm-cu m/mole(SRC) derived from its vapor pressure, 2.0X10-4 mm Hg(2), and assigned value for water solubility of 1X10+6 mg/L (miscible)(3). This Henry's Law constant indicates that N-methyldiethanolamine is expected to be essentially nonvolatile from water and moist soil surfaces(4). N-Methyldiethanolamine is not expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon its vapor pressure(2).

MDEA

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Chemical Weapons/Chemical Weapons Precursors chemical material that, if stolen or diverted, can be converted into weapons using simple chemistry, equipment, or techniques.