X-Message-Number: 12506
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 19:28:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: absorption of some Glycol Ethers

 Absorption of Some Glycol Ethers Through Human Skin in Vitro
 Environmental Health Perspective 57: 193-197 1984

   The above reference has some absorption rates (mg/cm2/hr) through human
 (corpse) skin for a number of solutes as follows:
 (EG stands for ethylene glycol, PG stands for propylene glycol)

 Solute              Rate of Absorption Synonym
 Methanol                    8.4        Methyl alcohol
 2-Methoxyethanol            2.82       EG monomethyl ether
 1-Methoxypropan-2-ol        1.17       PG monomethyl ether
 2-Ethoxyethyl acetate       0.800      EG monoethyl ether acetate
 2-Ethoxyethanol             0.796      EG monoethyl ether
 Ethanol                     0.57       Ethyl alcohol
 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol 0.206      DiEG monomethyl ether
 2-Butoxyethanol             0.198      EG monobutyl ether
 2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy) ethanol  0.125      DiEG monoethyl ether
 n-Butanol                   0.06       Butyl alcohol
 2-(2-Butoxyethoxy) ethanol  0.035      DiEG monobutyl ether

   In live animal testing the least toxic of these solutes appears to be:
 1-Methoxypropan-2-ol, 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol, and 2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)
 ethanol.
   To give a rough idea how the above absorption rates would likely
 compare with common cryoprotectants, using glycerol as a base for red
 blood cell membranes is as follows:
 (from J General Physiology 62: 714-736 1973)

 Solute                     Relative absorption
 2-Methoxyethanol            20.9
 2-Ethoxyethanol             22.1
 Ethanol                     15.1
 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol  8.5
 Ethylene glycol              5.8
 Dimethyl sulphoxide          2.2
 Glycerol                     1.0

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