2M2B (2-methyl-2-butanol) containing Amyl-Acetate ... safety concern

[holyservant]

I recently acquired a 500mL bottle of 2M2B (Amyl-Acetate). Here is some info on it if you are unfamiliar with thihttp://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/490389-2-methyl-2-butanol-quot-Vodka-quot

It was obtained from a professional lab supply company & the assay on the bottle says "Purity > 99%" however it also says "Amyl-Acetate < 0.6%"...

Previously when I have purchased this substance, I have obtained it from "research chemical" companies (the ones selling benzo-fury and all that stuff) and it has come in 10mL vials. I've never seen anything about Amyl-Acetate printed on these vials so this raised a red flag for me.

Does anyone have any knowledge regarding the toxicity of Amyl-Acetate in humans? Any information would be greatly appreciated, as I don't want to ingest something I know nothing about.

 

[nuke]

It's an ester that is approved as a flavouring agent for foods or a fragrance for perfumes. It's also heavily used in automotive paints.

"Available information suggests that Primary Amyl Acetate (mixture of 2 isomers) is practically
non-toxic to animals by oral and dermal contact and is only slightly toxic by inhalation (see Table
5). Primary Amyl Acetate also appears to induce minimal hepatotoxicity, even when high doses are
administered by IP injection (Divincenzo and Krasavage, 1974). Although no effect was observed
in rats, signs of decreased central nervous system function were observed following high acute OECD SIDS PRIMARY AMYL ACETATE
UNEP PUBLICATIONS 19
exposures to Primary Amyl Acetate in mice. This effect is commonly observed following exposure
to short chain alcohols and esters of these alcohols"

http://www.inchem.org/documents/sids/sids/PrimaryAmylAcetate.pdf

 

[sekio]

Less than 1 percent of ester impurity is nothing to worry about. You get more esters from a glass of fruit juice than you would from a drop of 2m2b.

 

[Pomzazed]

Your nose should be able to pick up the smell of Amyl acetate if it is present. (unless it is very very traces...)

It is used as flavouring agent in making cakes, cookies, etc. but needed only like 1-2 drops for the mixture in the large bowl before baking.
It would hydrolyze to amyl alcohol and acetic acid though, not really toxic.

When you buy amyl alcohol (or isoamyl, 2M2B you call) this is the major impurities but often it isnt listed.
I do believe that the one you get from RC supplier would get many types and much more amount of NON-LISTED impurities. (they wont show it, or wont test for it, even)

As a chemical laboratory reagent grade, impurities must be analyzed and listed by standard.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

I love this stuff. It is so smooth in it's effects. Like others have said, that is such a safe compound and is a minute impurity, that it literally the most non of non-toxic.

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

Just stay away from bee hives/nests. IIRC it is one of the pheromones used to signal attack in bees. Wouldn't surprise me if its partly responsible, in some cases, for perfumes triggering attacks. Or it might be iso-amyl acetate, can't remember offhand. I wouldn't like to find out the hard way that bees percieve it just the same for either n-pentyl or isopentyl acetate though, assuming some got on clothing etc.

 

[sekio]

There are way too may different species of wasp and bee to make that generalization. Almost all of them respond to esters because they are a natural component of fruit odors.

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

I believe it is the common Apis mellifera, or honeybee. I should have specified. Not sure if other bee species respond to it, but given the non-specificity of the mixture of things in honeybee attack/alarm pheromone, which includes a large range of fatty acid acetate esters, along with the corresponding alcohols in some cases, I wouldn't bee surprised (sorry) if by chance, some other hymenopteran species responded to the same, simple fatty acid esters.

Seems both n-pentyl and isopentyl acetate are in the A.mellifera alarm/attack pheromone.

I'd have to argue with your logic about responding due to being a natural component of fruit. It would be strange for that to be the source of an attack/alarm pheromone response. Fruit and vegetables are not really noted for their fighting prowess.

 

[Pomzazed]

I don't know above, just "ethyl oleate" (from biodiesel) acts as a suppressant pheromones for common bees, too.

Now its up to the tests lol, I have the bottle of alcohol and the ester here, but there's no appropriate beehives around my area...

 

[sekio]

Please don't go inciting bees to attack...

I think in the worst case you can just cook the stuff with some lye or something to bust the ester open.

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

I echo sekio there. Honeybees DIE when they sting. At least, a lot of the time, not always but most. The barbs on the sting are thought to be a defense evolved against mammalian targets, so the stings get pulled out and continue functioning sans their owner. Not fair on the bees.