ContaminantDB: Acetone

Identification Taxonomy Biological Properties Physical Properties Toxicity Profile Spectra Concentrations Links References Targets (1)XML

Record Information

Version

1.0

Creation Date

2009-03-06 18:58:14 UTC

Update Date

2026-03-26 20:49:06 UTC

Accession Number

CHEM000167

Identification

Common Name

Acetone

Class

Small Molecule

Description

Acetone is one of the ketone bodies produced during ketoacidosis. Acetone is not regarded as a waste product of metabolism. However, its physiological role in biochemical machinery is not clear. A model for the role of acetone metabolism is presented that orders the events occurring in acetonemia in sequence: in diabetic ketosis or starvation, ketone body production (b-hydroxy-butyrate, acetoacetate) provides fuel for vital organs (heart, brain .) raising the chance of survival of the metabolic catastrophe. However, when ketone body production exceeds the degrading capacity, the accumulating acetoacetic acid presents a new challenge to the pH regulatory system. Acetone production and its further degradation to C3 fragments fulfill two purposes: the maintenance of pH buffering capacity and provision of fuel for peripheral tissues. Since ketosis develops under serious metabolic circumstances, all the mechanisms that balance or moderate the effects of ketosis enhance the chance for survival. From this point of view, the theory that transportable C3 fragments can serve as additional nutrients is a novel view of acetone metabolism which introduces a new approach to the study of acetone degradation, especially in understanding its physiological function and the interrelationship between liver and peripheral tissues. (5). Acetone is typically derived from acetoacetate through the action of microbial acetoacetate decarboxylases found in gut microflora. In chemistry, acetone is the simplest representative of the ketones. Acetone is a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid readily soluble in water, ethanol, ether, etc., and itself serves as an important solvent. Acetone is an irritant and inhalation may lead to hepatotoxic effects (causing liver damage).

Contaminant Sources

Clean Air Act Chemicals
Cosmetic Chemicals
DEA Chemicals
Disinfection Byproducts
EAFUS Chemicals
EPA Endocrine Screening
FooDB Chemicals
HMDB Contaminants - Feces
HMDB Contaminants - Urine
HPV EPA Chemicals
OECD HPV Chemicals
STOFF IDENT Compounds
T3DB toxins
Tobacco Smoke Compounds
ToxCast & Tox21 Chemicals

Contaminant Type

Food Toxin
Household Toxin
Industrial Precursor/Intermediate
Industrial/Workplace Toxin
Ketone
Lachrymator
Metabolite
Natural Compound
Organic Compound
Solvent

Chemical Structure

MOL SDF PDB SMILES InChI

Synonyms

Value	Source
2-Propanone	ChEBI
Aceton	ChEBI
Azeton	ChEBI
beta-Ketopropane	ChEBI
Dimethyl ketone	ChEBI
Dimethylcetone	ChEBI
Dimethylketon	ChEBI
Dimethylketone	ChEBI
Methyl ketone	ChEBI
Propanon	ChEBI
Propanone	ChEBI
Pyroacetic ether	ChEBI
b-Ketopropane	Generator
Β-ketopropane	Generator
Dimethylformaldehyde	HMDB

Chemical Formula

C₃H₆O

Average Molecular Mass

58.079 g/mol

Monoisotopic Mass

58.042 g/mol

CAS Registry Number

67-64-1

IUPAC Name

propan-2-one

Traditional Name

acetone

SMILES

CC(C)=O

InChI Identifier

InChI=1S/C3H6O/c1-3(2)4/h1-2H3

InChI Key

CSCPPACGZOOCGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Chemical Taxonomy

Description

belongs to the class of organic compounds known as ketones. These are organic compounds in which a carbonyl group is bonded to two carbon atoms R2C=O (neither R may be a hydrogen atom). Ketones that have one or more alpha-hydrogen atoms undergo keto-enol tautomerization, the tautomer being an enol.

Kingdom

Organic compounds

Super Class

Organic oxygen compounds

Class

Organooxygen compounds

Sub Class

Carbonyl compounds

Direct Parent

Ketones

Alternative Parents

Substituents

Ketone
Organic oxide
Hydrocarbon derivative
Aliphatic acyclic compound

Molecular Framework

Aliphatic acyclic compounds

External Descriptors

methyl ketone (CHEBI:15347 )
propanone (CHEBI:15347 )
ketone body (CHEBI:15347 )
Oxygenated hydrocarbons (LMFA12000057 )
a methyl-ethyl-ketone (ACETONE )

Biological Properties

Status

Detected and Not Quantified

Origin

Endogenous

Cellular Locations

Cytoplasm
Extracellular
Mitochondria

Biofluid Locations

Not Available

Tissue Locations

Adipose Tissue
Adrenal Gland
Bladder
Brain
Fibroblasts
Kidney
Liver
Myelin
Pancreas
Placenta
Skin
Stratum Corneum
Testes
Thyroid Gland

Pathways

Name	SMPDB Link	KEGG Link
Ketone Body Metabolism	SMP00071	map00072

Applications

polar aprotic solvent

Biological Roles

Chemical Roles

Physical Properties

State

Liquid

Appearance

Not Available

Experimental Properties

Property	Value
Melting Point	-94.8°C
Boiling Point	56.2°C (133.2°F)
Solubility	1000 mg/mL at 25°C

Predicted Properties

Property	Value	Source
Water Solubility	193 g/L	ALOGPS
logP	-0.29	ALOGPS
logP	0.11	ChemAxon
logS	0.52	ALOGPS
pKa (Strongest Acidic)	19.51	ChemAxon
pKa (Strongest Basic)	-7.2	ChemAxon
Physiological Charge	0	ChemAxon
Hydrogen Acceptor Count	1	ChemAxon
Hydrogen Donor Count	0	ChemAxon
Polar Surface Area	17.07 Å²	ChemAxon
Rotatable Bond Count	0	ChemAxon
Refractivity	16.19 m³·mol⁻¹	ChemAxon
Polarizability	6.41 Å³	ChemAxon
Number of Rings	0	ChemAxon
Bioavailability	1	ChemAxon
Rule of Five	Yes	ChemAxon
Ghose Filter	No	ChemAxon
Veber's Rule	Yes	ChemAxon
MDDR-like Rule	No	ChemAxon

Spectra

Spectrum Type	Description	Splash Key	View
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-052f-9000000000-14f33068e4ba092deb77	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0006-9000000000-23fa1a3953b34b4d17db	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0006-9000000000-5de48058c986d7c07ac3	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0002-9000000000-ac4e03d64a5d08cb0e2d	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-052f-9000000000-14f33068e4ba092deb77	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0006-9000000000-23fa1a3953b34b4d17db	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0006-9000000000-5de48058c986d7c07ac3	Spectrum
GC-MS	GC-MS Spectrum - EI-B (Non-derivatized)	splash10-0002-9000000000-ac4e03d64a5d08cb0e2d	Spectrum
Predicted GC-MS	Predicted GC-MS Spectrum - GC-MS (Non-derivatized) - 70eV, Positive	splash10-052f-9000000000-bc353e3a40f83275872b	Spectrum
Predicted GC-MS	Predicted GC-MS Spectrum - GC-MS (Non-derivatized) - 70eV, Positive	Not Available	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - Quattro_QQQ 10V, Positive (Annotated)	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-cbc26702df42f89389a4	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - Quattro_QQQ 25V, Positive (Annotated)	splash10-052f-9000000000-76023af14a12c4b19cf9	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - Quattro_QQQ 40V, Positive (Annotated)	splash10-0a4l-9000000000-4a0900faf782fa344db9	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - EI-B (JEOL JMS-D-3000) , Positive	splash10-052f-9000000000-cd6003561b339cd9243f	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - EI-B (HITACHI M-80B) , Positive	splash10-0006-9000000000-23fa1a3953b34b4d17db	Spectrum
LC-MS/MS	LC-MS/MS Spectrum - EI-B (HITACHI RMU-7M) , Positive	splash10-0006-9000000000-5de48058c986d7c07ac3	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Positive	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-31f47c962fee2ab51810	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Positive	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-29f0bd4f29c752b098b1	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Positive	splash10-0006-9000000000-44feb4a0693788e21f10	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-e3c53a345dc69a6403f2	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-786aa0674415a8c32182	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-3bc848ca563aa39df37e	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-6e3379842f4da69e8e2b	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-6e3379842f4da69e8e2b	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Negative	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-9251850c7854d63a048f	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Positive	splash10-0a4i-9000000000-7d56b578e5d5ea65f901	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Positive	splash10-0006-9000000000-f1d310daeae27abc7672	Spectrum
Predicted LC-MS/MS	Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Positive	splash10-0006-9000000000-3f1c663ba1bd7d012172	Spectrum
MS	Mass Spectrum (Electron Ionization)	splash10-0006-9000000000-e24ae6a1f2f0e7aac3e7	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	13C NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
1D NMR	1H NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum
2D NMR	[1H,13C] 2D NMR Spectrum	Not Available	Spectrum

Toxicity Profile

Route of Exposure

Inhalation (19) ; oral (19) ; dermal (19) ; eye contact (19)

Mechanism of Toxicity

Since acetone is highly water soluble, it is readily taken up by the blood and widely distributed to body tissues. Acetone may interfere with the composition of the membranes, altering their permeability to ions. Systemically, acetone is moderately toxic to the liver and produces hematological effects. The renal toxicity may be due to the metabolite, formate, which is known to be nephrotoxic and is excreted by the kidneys. One of the major effects of acetone is the potentiation of the toxicity of other chemicals. Pretreatment with acetone has been shown to potentiate the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform by inducing particular forms of cytochrome P-450, especially cytochrome P-45OIIE1, and associated enzyme activities. (N004)

Metabolism

The metabolic fate of acetone is independent of route of administration and involves three separate gluconeogenic pathways, with ultimate incorporation of carbon atoms into glucose and other products and substrates of intermediary metabolism with generation of carbon dioxide. The primary (major) pathway involves hepatic metabolism of acetone to acetol and hepatic metabolism of acetol to methylglyoxal, while two secondary (minor) pathways are partially extrahepatic, involving the extrahepatic reduction of acetol to L-1,2-propanediol. Subsequent conversion of acetol to methylglyoxal in microsomes is catalyzed by acetol monooxygenase (also called acetol hydroxylase), an activity also associated with cytochrome P-450IIE1, and also requires oxygen and NADPH. Methylglyoxal can then be converted to D-glucose by an unidentified pathway, and/or possibly by catalysis by glyoxalase I and II and glutathione to D-lactate, which is converted to D-glucose. Some of exogenous acetone is unmetabolized and is excreted primarily in the expired air with little acetone excreted in urine. (N004)

Toxicity Values

LD50: 2400 mg/kg/day (Oral, Mouse) (N004)

Lethal Dose

Not Available

Carcinogenicity (IARC Classification)

No indication of carcinogenicity (not listed by IARC). (18)

Uses/Sources

Most acetone produced is used to make other chemicals that make plastics, fibers, and drugs. Acetone is also used to dissolve other substances. Exposure may occur from breathing air, drinking water and eating food with acetone, and through dermal and eye contact. (N004)

Minimum Risk Level

Acute Inhalation: 26 ppm (N004) Intermediate Inhalation: 13 ppm (N004) Chronic Inhalation: 13 ppm (N004)

Health Effects

Pulmonary congestion and edema can follow inhalation of acetone, which irritates the mucosa. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by repeated vomiting of blood has been reported. Neurobehavioral effects, indicative of narcosis, sedation, respiratory depression, ataxia, paresthesia and renal lesions can also result from acetone poisoning. (N004, A578)

Symptoms

Sore throat, cough, confusion, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and unconsciousness are some signs observed after acetone poisoning. Moreover, ingestion of the product can cause nausea and vomiting. Redness, pain, blurred vision as well as corneal damage can result from eye exposure. A dry skin can be the result of dermal contact. Irritation of the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes can also occur depending on the route of exposure. (19)

Treatment

Following oral exposure to acetone, consider insertion of a nasogastric tube to aspirate stomach contents only after recent, large acetone ingestions; symptomatic and supportive treatment is generally all that is required. Following inhalation exposure, move patient to fresh air. Monitor for respiratory distress. If cough or difficulty breathing develops, evaluate for respiratory tract irritation, bronchitis, or pneumonitis. Administer oxygen and assist ventilation as required. Treat bronchospasm with inhaled beta2 agonist and oral or parenteral corticosteroids. Irrigate exposed eyes with copious amounts of room temperature water for at least 15 minutes in case of eye exposure to acetone. In case of dermal exposure, remove contaminated clothing and wash exposed area thoroughly with soap and water. A physician may need to examine the area if irritation or pain persists. (20)

Concentrations

Not Available

External Links

DrugBank ID

Not Available

HMDB ID

HMDB0001659

FooDB ID

FDB008301

Phenol Explorer ID

Not Available

KNApSAcK ID