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| Toxicity Summary |
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| Link to the Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database |
| IDENTIFICATION: Methyl methacrylate is a volatile synthetic chemical that is used principally in the production of cast acrylic sheet, acrylic emulsions, and molding and extrusion resins. HUMAN EXPOSURE: Data on absorption following dermal exposure are limited. In humans, methyl methacrylate is rapidly metabolized to methacrylic acid. This compound is a mild skin irritant in humans and has the potential to induce skin sensitization in susceptible individuals. Although occupational asthma associated with methyl methacrylate has also been reported, there is no conclusive evidence that this compound is a respiratory sensitizer. Epidemiological studies do not provide strong or consistent evidence of a carcinogenic effect of methyl methacrylate on any target organ in humans, nor can it be inferred with any degree of confidence that the possibility of an increased risk has been disapproved. ANIMAL/PLANT STUDIES: Methyl methacrylate is rapidly absorbed and distributed following inhalation or oral administration to experimental animals. Data on absorption following dermal exposure are limited. In experimental animals, methyl methacrylate is rapidly metabolized to methacrylic acid. Following inhalation, 16-20% of the chemical is deposited in the upper respiratory tract of rats, where it is primarily metabolized by local tissue esterases. The acute toxicity of this compound is low. Irritation of the skin, eye and nasal cavity has been observed in rodents and rabbits exposed to relatively high concentrations of methyl methacrylate. The chemical is a mild skin sensitizer in animals. The effect observed most frequently at the lowest concentration after repeated inhalation exposure to this compound is irritation of the nasal cavity. Effects on the kidney and liver at higher concentrations have been reported. The lowest reported effect level for irritation was 410 mg/cu m in rats exposed to this material for 2 yr (based upon inflammatory degeneration of the nasal epithelium); the no observed effect level (NOEL) in this investigation was approximately 100 mg/cu m. In a study in rats, there were no developmental effects, although there were decreases in maternal body weight following inhalation of concentrations up to 8,315 mg/cu m. There was no reduction in fertility in a dominant lethal assay in mice exposed to this compound at concentrations up to 36,900 mg/cu m and no adverse effects on reproductive organs in repeated dose studies conducted to date. Available data on the neurotoxicity of methyl methacrylate are limited; impairment of locomotor activity and learning and behavioral effects on the brain were observed in rats exposed orally to 500 mg/kg bw/day for 21 days. Methyl methacrylate was not carcinogenic in an extensive well documented 2 yr bioassay in rats and mice exposed by inhalation and in additional chronic inhalation studies in rats and hamsters. This substance is not mutagenic in in vitro bacterial systems, this compound is mutagenic and clastogenic in mammalian cells in vitro. In in vivo studies (primarily by the inhalation route) in which there has been clear evidence of toxicity within the target tissue, there has been limited evidence of the genotoxicity of methyl methacrylate. The toxicity of methyl methacrylate to aquatic organisms is low. No chronic studies on aquatic organisms were identified. Acute tests have been conducted on fish, Daphnia magna and algae. The most sensitive effect was the onset of inhibition of cell multiplication by the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda at 37 mg/l following an 8 day exposure period. The lowest EC50 for immobilization in Daphnia was 720 mg/L. The 96 hr LC50 for juvenile bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) under flow through conditions was 191 mg/L, whereas LC50 values for durations 1-24 hr ranged from 420-356 mg/L, respectively. The 96 hr LC50 for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under flow through conditions was > 79 mg/L, the highest concentration tested. Sublethal/behavioral responses were noted among the fish at 40 mg/L. |
| Source: DrugBank or Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
| Spectrum Type | Spectrum View | Description | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental GCMS | view | GCMS | positive |