What is 2-Butoxyethanol?
This chemical is a clear, colorless and flammable liquid that is used as a solvent. Solvents soften and disperse soils so that you can remove them without having to use as much “elbow grease”. It is part of a family called “glycol ethers“.What products is 2-Butoxyethanol in?
Glass cleaners and all-purpose spray-cleaners are the most common household items containing 2-butoxyethanol [1] [3]. It is used in household cleaners, liquid soaps, cosmetics spray lacquers, enamels, herbicides, hydraulic fluids, fabric dyes and inks, household degreasers, dry-cleaning substances, and latex paints [1].How to tell if a product has 2-Butoxyethanol
2-butoxyethanol may also be listed as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, Butyl Cellosolve, ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, butyl Oxitol, Dowanol EB, glycol butyl ether, Polysolv, and Ektasolve EB. Abbreviations for 2-butoxyethanol include EGBE and BE [1]. The acetate form of 2-butoxyethanol may be listed as butoxyethanol acetate, butoxyethyl acetate, butyl glycol acetate, ethylene glycol butyl ether acetate, acetic acid 2-butoxyethyl ester, glycol monobutyl ether acetate, Butyl Cellosolve acetate, or Ektasolve EB acetate. Common abbreviations for 2-butoxyethanol acetate include BEA and EGBEA.Risks associated with 2-Butoxyethanol
2-butoxyethanol can enter your body through the lungs by breathing in the vapors or through skin contact.
Short-term exposure to high levels in humans is associated with pulmonary edema and severe liver and kidney damage. Chronic exposure in humans is associated with neurological and blood effects, such as nausea, tremor, and anemia. Animal studies have reported reproductive and developmental risks from inhalation exposure.[4]