Eicosane

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 firefighting if necessary.

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Environmental precautions No special environmental precautions required. Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up: Sweep up and shovel. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.

SMALL SPILLS AND LEAKAGE: If a spill of this chemical occurs, FIRST REMOVE ALL SOURCES OF IGNITION, then you should dampen the solid spill material with acetone and transfer the dampened material to a suitable container. Use absorbent paper dampened with acetone to pick up any remaining material. Seal your contaminated clothing and the absorbent paper in a vapor-tight plastic bag for eventual disposal. Solvent wash all contaminated surfaces with acetone followed by washing with a 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. Contaminated packaging: Dispose of as unused product.

ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Avoid dust formation. Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas. Environmental precautions No special environmental precautions required.

Precautions for safe handling: Further processing of solid materials may result in the formation of combustible dusts. The potential for combustible dust formation should be taken into consideration before additional processing occurs. Provide appropriate exhaust ventilation at places where dust is formed.

Appropriate engineering controls: General industrial hygiene practice.

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.

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for n-Eicosane (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

RECOMMENDED RESPIRATOR: Where the neat test chemical is weighed and diluted, wear a NIOSH-approved half face respirator equipped with an organic vapor/acid gas cartridge (specific for organic vapors, HCl, acid gas and SO2) with a dust/mist filter. (NTP, 1992)

Eye/face protection: Use equipment for eye protection tested and approved under appropriate government standards such as NIOSH (US) or EN 166(EU).

Handle with gloves.

Body Protection: Choose body protection in relation to its type, to the concentration and amount of dangerous substances, and to the specific work-place.

Respiratory protection: Respiratory protection is not required. Where protection from nuisance levels of dusts are desired, use type N95 (US) or type P1 (EN 143) dust masks. Use respirators and components tested and approved under appropriate government standards such as NIOSH (US) or CEN (EU).

TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 5.9X10+5(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that eicosane is expected to be immobile in soil(SRC). Volatilization of eicosane from moist soil surfaces is expected to be an important fate process(SRC) given an estimated Henry's Law constant of 90 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), using a fragment constant estimation method(3). However, adsorption to soil is expected to attenuate volatilization(SRC). Eicosane is not expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon a vapor pressure of 4.62X10-6 mm Hg at 25 °C(4). Utilizing the Japanese MITI test, eicosane reached 89% of its Theoretical BOD in 4 weeks(5). Eicosane achieved 6 to 27% biodegradation after 28 days in sediment and marine-water inoculums(6), indicating that biodegradation is an important environmental fate process in soil.

AQUATIC FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 5.9X10+5(SRC), determined from a structure estimation method(2), indicates that eicosane is expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment(SRC). Volatilization from water surfaces may occur(3) based upon an estimated Henry's Law constant of 90 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), using a fragment constant estimation method(4). Using this Henry's Law constant and an estimation method(3), volatilization half-lives for a model river and model lake are 1.7 hours and 6.7 days, respectively(SRC). However, adsorption to soil is expected to attenuate volatilization(SRC). The estimated volatilization half-life from a model pond is greater than 2 years if adsorption is considered(5). According to a classification scheme(6), an estimated BCF of 94(SRC), from an estimated log Kow of 10.16(2) and a regression-derived equation(2), suggests the potential for bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is moderate(SRC). Eicosane has a calculated half-life of 2.8 days(7) in unacclimated pond-water, indicating that biodegradation is an important environmental fate process under certain conditions in water.

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), eicosane, which has a vapor pressure of 4.62X10-6 mm Hg at 25 °C(2), will exist in both the vapor and particulate phases in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase eicosane 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 15 hours(SRC), calculated from its rate constant of 2.52X10-11 cu cm/molecule-sec at 25 °C(SRC) that was derived using a structure estimation method(3). Particulate-phase eicosane may be removed from the air by wet and dry deposition(SRC). Eicosane 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).

Eicosane was identified as a volatile component in the edible extract of Korean Chamchwi (Aster scaber Thunb)(1). Eicosane was detected in the extract of 6 out of 8 Australian yellow box honey samples, and 8 out of 8 Australian blue gum honey samples at average concentrations of 0.2 mg/kg and 0.1 mg/kg, respectively(2).

IDENTIFICATION AND USE: Eicosane is a solid n-alkane containing 20 carbon atoms (C20). It is used in cosmetic, lubricants, plasticizers. Solid n-alkanes (paraffin waxes) are also used as feeds for cracking them to gasoline blendstock materials, oxidation, and chlorination reactions. Recently, it has been reported that n-alkanes are principal components of diesel exhaust nanoparticles. HUMAN EXPOSURE AND TOXICITY: There are no data available. ANIMAL STUDIES: The addition of increasing amounts of eicosane to mouse surfactant increases surface compressibility at 30 mN/m during the second compression, suggesting that the deposition of alkane-rich nanoparticles onto pulmonary surfactants may be related to dysfunction of surfactant activity during breathing. A structure activity relationship of pure n-alkanes was undertaken in a mouse ear edema model to investigate the mechanism of cumulative irritancy. Alkanes were applied twice daily over a 4-day period. Hexadecane, octadecane, and eicosane exhibited progressively decreasing activity.

The existing information was reviewed by the independent Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety and supports the use of eicosane as described in this fragrance ingredient safety assessment. It is not genotoxic. Data from read-across analog heneicosane provide a calculated Margin of Exposure (MOE) greater than 100 for the repeated dose toxicity endpoint. Data from read-across analog undecanea provide a calculated Margin of Exposure (MOE) greater than 100 for the reproductive toxicity endpoint. Also, data from read-across analog paraffin wax show that there are no safety concerns for for skin sensitization under the current declared levels of use. Based on the lack of a chromophore, eicosane does not present a photoirritation/photoallergy concern. The local respiratory toxicity endpoint was evaluated using the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) for a Cramer Class I material, and the exposure is below the TTC.

Eiscosane detections in plants used in food and medicinal applications(1). /Eicosane/[Table#8365]

n-Eiscosane detections in plants used in food and medicinal applications(1).

Eicosane was identified in the extract of some plastic materials from Concon, Chile(1); it was detected in the surface extract of new plastic bags, roadside litter, and landfill trash at concentrations of 55.9, 50.5, and 83.1 ug/g, respectively; it was detected in the particulate matter of open burn smoke from new plastic bags, roadside litter, and landfill trash, at concentrations of 9.2, 6.5, and 14.2 ng/mg, respectively; eicosane was detected in the surface extract and the open burn smoke of new plastic bags from the United States at a concentration of 123.2 ug/g and 65.0 ng/mg, respectively(1).

The Koc of eicosane is estimated as 5.9X10+5(SRC), using an estimated log Kow of 10.16(1) and a regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this estimated Koc value suggests that eicosane is expected to be immobile in soil.

URBAN/SUBURBAN: A mean ambient air concentration of 84.4 ng/cubic m was reported for eicosane from monitoring data measured on September 9, 1993 at Central Los Angeles, Azusa, and Claremont(1). In 2002, eicosane was detected in the gas-phase and the particulate-phase of urban and industrial air samples from Prato, Italy, at average concentrations of approximately 33.5 and 0.1 ng/cu m, respectively(2). Eicosane was detected in the particulate matter of ambient urban air sampled daily from January 2003 through December 2004 in Augsburg, Germany; average concentrations reported for spring, summer, fall and winter were 2.37, 0.41, 0.98, and 4.41 ng/cu m, respectively(3). During late fall and winter seasons eicoscane was monitored in the particulate matter of ambient atmospheres in urban areas of Corvallis OR, Guangzhou China, Beijing China, and Taiyuan China, with reported concentrations of not detected, 20.6, 102.1, and 25.2 ng/cu m, respectively(4).

SOURCE DOMINATED: Eicosane was detected in the gas and particle phase of tailpipe emissions from catalyst equipped gasoline powered motor vehicles at concentrations of 1.8 and 0.8 ug/km, respectively; and in the gas and particle phase of tailpipe emissions from non-catalyst equipped gasoline powered motor vehicles at concentrations of 100 and 190 ug/km, respectively; it was also detected in the gasoline at 2.5 ug/g(1). Average concentrations of eicosane emitted as a result of Chinese cooking styles were reported as 97, 65, 36, and 39 ng/mg, for Cantonese style, Sichuan style, Dongbei style, and Hunan style cooking, respectively(2).

Barnacle samples collected from five locations in the Arabian Gulf had concentrations of eicosane ranging from not detected to 480 ng/g(1). Catfish samples collected from seven locations in the Arabian Gulf had concentrations of eicosane ranging from <0.1 to 14 ng/g(2).

Alkanes such as eicosane may be components in petroleum products(1) and may be released to the environment through the processing and combustion of petroleum products(SRC). Eicosane's production and use in the manufacture of cosmetics, lubricants, and plasticizers(2) may result in its release to the environment through various waste streams.

AEROBIC: Eicosane, present at 100 mg/L, reached 89% of its theoretical BOD in 4 weeks using an activated sludge inoculum at 30 mg/L in the Japanese MITI test(1). Biodegradation of eicosane will occur under certain environmental conditions. Using a sediment sample and marine-water taken from Colgate Creek, Maryland (a relatively oil polluted environment), 27% eicosane was utilized by bacteria after 28 days; using a sediment sample and marine-water taken from Eastern Bay, Maryland (a relatively oil free environment), 6% eicosane was utilized by bacteria after 28 days; using the sediment sample from Colgate Creek in water taken from Eastern Bay, 22% eicosane was utilized by bacteria after 28 days; using a sediment sample from Eastern Bay and water from Colgate Creek, 11% eicosane was utilized by bacteria after 28 days(2). Eicosane, present as a component of Biodiesel, has a calculated half-life of 2.8 days, from examination of the primary aerobic biodegradation of commercial biodiesel fuel at 100 ppm, using unacclimated pond-water(3). Biodegradation of eicosane was measured by the biological oxygen demand using a suspension of Hudson-Collamer silt loam soil in water; oxidation of eicosane by microorganisms was achieved, resulting in 8.2 ug/mL oxygen consumed after 20 days(4).

SEDIMENTS: Eicosane was detected in sediment samples from 14 sites along the Shinano River in Japan, from Nov 2005 to April 2006, at concentrations ranging from less than 0.2 to 22 ng/g(2).

SOIL: During winter 2002 soil and sand samples, from six locations in the Riyadh metropolitan area of Saudi Arabia, were examined for extractable organic matter; eicosane was detected at relative concentrations between 0.04 to 1.07% (of total extractable organic matter) at five of six locations(1).