1-Propanol / published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization

Abstract

Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by the production, use and waste disposal of 1-propanol, a colourless, highly flammable liquid used primarily as a multi-purpose solvent in industry and in the home. The compound, which has antiseptic as well as solvent properties, is also used in drugs and cosmetics. Because 1-propanol is primarily used as a volatile solvent, much of the production volume is eventually released into the environment. Sections considering behaviour in the environment and in organisms conclude that 1-propanol rapidly degrades in the environment, has a residence time of less than 3 days, and is rapidly metabolized and eliminated from the bodies of exposed organisms. Available data indicate that 1-propanol, at concentrations normally encountered in the enviornment, is not toxic for aquatic organisms, insects, or plants. In view of several inadequacies in experimental studies of toxicity, the report was unable to determine the human health risks associated with long-term exposure. Other data support the conclusion that 1-propanol is unlikely to pose a serious threat to either the general population or the environment under normal conditions of use