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1. Exposure Data

1.1 Chemical and physical data

From IPCS (1999), European Commission

(2001), IPCS-CEC (2004), and HSDB (2005),unless otherwise specied

1.1.1 Nomenclature

Chem. Abstr. Services Reg. No.: 98-82-8Chem. Abstr. Name: (1-Methylethyl)benzene;Synonyms: Benzene, isopropyl; cumol;isopropylbenzene; isopropylbenzol;2-phenylpropane; propane, 2-phenyl

RTECS No.: GR8575000EINECS No.: 202-704-5United Nations TDG: 1918

1.1.2 Structural and molecular ormulae andrelative molecular mass

CH3

CH3

C9H

12

Relative molecular mass: 120.2

1.1.3 Chemical and physical properties o thepure substance

Description: Colourless liquid with a sharp,penetrating, aromatic odourBoiling-point: 152 C

Melting-point: -96 CDensity: 0.86 g/cm3 at 20 CVapour pressure: 3.2 mm Hg at 20 C; 4.6mm Hg at 25 CReractive index: 1.491 at 20 CSpectroscopy data: Inrared, ultraviolet,nuclear magnetic resonance and massspectral data have been tabulated.Solubility: Slightly soluble in water(50 mg/L at 25 C); soluble in alcohol and

many organic solventsFlash-point: 31 C; upper and lower explo-sive limit, 6.5% and 0.9%, respectivelyStability: Reacts violently with acids andstrong oxidants, causing re and explo-sions; can orm explosive peroxides.Octanol/water partition coefcient: log P

ow,

3.66 (Sangster Research Laboratories, 2006)Vapour density (air = 1): 4.2

Auto-ignition temperature: 420 CHenrys law constant: 1.15 10-2 atm.m3/

mol at 25 COil/air partition coefcient: 6215Water/air partition coefcient: 1.44Human blood/air partition coefcient: 37Conversion actor: 1 ppm = 5.2 mg/m3;1 mg/m3 = 0.19 ppm (calculatedrom: mg/m3 = (relative molecular

CUMENE

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Cumene

1.3.2 Environmental occurrence

(a) Release/euents

Cumene is released into the environmentduring its manuacture, use and transport.Another major source o pollution is its pres-ence in crude oil and nished uels; cumene isreleased rom incomplete combustion o ossiluels rom vehicles, oils spills, transportation

and distribution o ossils uels, and evapora-tion rom gasoline stations. Minor sourceso release are rom its use as a solvent, duringpaint manuacture and vulcanization o rubber,rom building materials, jet engine exhaust andoutboard motor operations, during pharmaceu-ticals production, rom textile plants and romtobacco smoke (IPCS, 1999; HSDB, 2005).

Emission rates rom various sources ocumene are provided in able 1.1; releases rateso cumene in Europe and the USA are provided

in able 1.2. Reported yearly cumene emissionsto the air rom cumene production were 125tonnes [417 kg per day] in 1993 and 75 tonnes[250 kg per day] in 1995. Using these values, itwas estimated that, during its production anduse in the EU, cumene is released into the air at arate o 1.3 kg/tonne, resulting in a rate o 17 903

kg per day, into water at a rate o 1.5 kg/tonne,resulting in a rate o 20 500 kg per day, and intothe soil at a rate o 0.02 kg/tonne resulting in rateo 33.3 kg per day. It was also estimated that 3211kg o cumene per day are released into the airin the EU rom gasoline distribution, and 20 298kg per day are released rom motor vehicles;the total estimated amount released into the airrom production, process and disperse sources is

41 412 kg per day (European Commission, 2001).It was estimated rom modelling that, in LosAngeles, USA, 2 300 kg o cumene per day (or2 days) were released into the air in 1987 (Harley& Cass, 1994).

(b) Ambient air

Levels o cumene measured in ambient airare reported in able 1.3. Te highest levels wereound near industrial sites, such as an oil renery(29.453.9 g/m3), ollowed by urban areas; the

lowest levels were ound in rural areas. In theUSA, cumene was ound at 14.7 g/m3 in urbanareas and 2.5 g/m3 in rural areas. In general,ambient levels o cumene were lower in Europeand Asia than in the USA.

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Table 1.1 Sources of exposure to cumene

Source/location Comment Emission rate

Releases to air

Production Controlled 0.08 kg/tonne cumeneUncontrolled 0.27 kg/tonne cumene

Use 1.03 kg cumene/tonne phenol

Production and use Overall releasea 1.31 kg/tonne

Gasoline engine vehicles Catalytic converter 0.00020.0009 g/km

No catalytic converter 0.002 g/km

Photocopying machines Emission rate 140220 g/h

Releases to water and soil

Production and use Wastewater 1.5 kg/tonne cumene

Soil 0.02 kg/tonne cumene

a Includes release to the air rom wastewater

h, hour or hours

From European Commission (2001), HSDB (2005)

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Table1.2

Dailyrelea

seratesofcumene

Geographiclocation

Source

Media

Emissionrate

(kg/day)

Reerence

EuropeanUnion

Estimatedvalues

otal

Air

41412

EuropeanCommission(2001)

Productionanduse

Aira

17903

Water

b

20500

Soilc

273

Dispersesources

Air

Gasoline

3211d

Motorexhaust

20298e

Reportedvalues

Productiononly

Air

1993

[417]

1995

[250]

LosAngeles,CA

Measured2d1987

Allsources

Air

2300

Harley&Cass(1994)

USA,estimated

otal

Air

[26027]g

USEPA(1988)

aAssumesmaximumproductiono500000tonnesatonesite(41000000tonnes/yearortheentireEuropeanUnion)a

ndreleaseactoro1.31kg/tonnes(seeable1.1).

bAssumesmaximumproductiono500000tonnesatonesiteandreleaseactoro1.5kg/tonne(Seeable1.1).

c Assumesmaximumproductiono500000tonnesatonesiteandreleaseactoro0.02kg/tonne(Seeable1.1).

dAssumes0.2%cumenerom

hydrocarbonloss,volatileorganiccompound(VOC)emissionactoro5kgVOC/gasolinedeliveredand117205000tonnes/yearoga

solineortheentire

EuropeanUnion.

e Assumes0.2%ocumenein

motorexhaust,emissiono617400tonnesVOC/yearandpopulationratioo6intheentireEuropeanUnion.

Reportedas125and75tonn

esin1993and1995,respectively.

gReportedas9500tonnes/yea

r

d,dayordays

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Table1.3

Environme

ntaloccurrenceofcumeneina

mbientair

Country

Location/sample

Concentration(g/m3)

Asia

Nepal

MountEverest

0.07

aiwan,C

hina

Urbanareaheavytra

c

0.60.9

Urbanareaawayrom

heavytrac

0.5

Europe

Belgium

AntwerpCraeybeckxtunnel(1991)

0.0030.009g/kgcarbon-basedpollutants

France

Grenoblearea(1987)

1.6(0.97.45)a

Germany

Urbanarea

69

Hamburgmajorroad

tunnel

33.8

Italy

Romeurbanarea

1.1

Milanurbanarea

1.11.8

Netherlands

Urbanarea

0.3

Ruralarea

05

Delf