Chemical Properties, Applications and Toxicology of Toluene

摘要

Toluene is one of the most important industrial chemical used as a blending component for automotive fuels, as a chemical intermediate and as a solvent primarily for paints and for inks, adhesives and pharmaceuticals. Chemical sensibility is triggered by a large of chemicals present both indoors and outdoors including pesticides, cleaning products, perfumes, scented products and cigarette smoke. Health risk after chemical exposure depends on age, sex, genetic factors. Toluene is one of volatile organic chemicals that cause different sensitivity in individuals. It is a common contaminant of outdoor and indoor air. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR 2000) reported that toluene concentrations in suburban and urban air range from 1.3 to 6.6 ppb. Indoor air concentrations are often higher than outdoor air concentrations. Toluene is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and to a lesser degree through the skin. It is distributed throughout the body with accumulation in tissues with high lipid content. It is metabolized in the liver, primarily to hippuric acid and benzoyl glucuronide compounds that are rapidly excreted in the urine. On the other hand, although neurotoxic and immunotoxic effects of toluene have been studied extensively, the underlying mechanism remains obscure. This chapter summarizes selected chemical and physical properties, relevant toxicokinetic and toxicologic studies of toluene and inhalation exposure levels. In view of the situation that environmental issues become more serious day by day, recent studies on practical applications of toluene removal are also reviewed.