Name: RAFAEL, DUNE VIENIS KAREN N. Year & Section: BS-Pharmacy 4ADate Performed: January 08, 2010 Rating: ____________________

Activity No. 09ACETONE

I. Objectives:1. To detect the presence of acetone in a sample by performing Lieben’s Iodoform test,

Legal’s test, and Reynold’s test;2. To understand the principles behind each test, and3. Interpret the results after performing each method of detection.

II. Data:

Method of Detection Reagents Observations and Results

Lieben’s Iodoform Test

Lugol’s solution (Aqueous iodo-potassium iodide solution), potassium hydroxide

Actual: Acetone + 1 ml Lugol’s sol’n Dark brown; Acetone + 1 mL of lugol’s sol’n + KOH Colorless; The solution turned yellow after heating.Ideal (+): Iodoform immediately separates, even in the cold, as a yellowish white precipitate which is usually amorphous (Autenrieth, 1915).

Legal’s Test 0.5% sodium nitroprusside solution, potassium hydroxide

Actual: 2 mL acetone + 2 gtt 0.5% sodium nitroprusside sol’n rusty red at the bottom.; 2 mL acetone + 2 gttd o.5% sodium nitroprusside + conc. NaOH sol’n violet sol’n. The solution turned light blue green after it was acidified with acetic acid.Ideal (+): A reddish yellow color appears after the addition of 0.5% sodium nitroprusside solution to the liquid containing acetone and potassium hydroxide. The solution changes its color to carmine to purplish red color upon the addition of acetic acid. Heating the solution changes its color to violet (Autenrieth, 1915).

Reynold’s Test Mercuric chloride, alcoholic KOH solution, ammonium sulfide

Actual: Acetone + 2 gtts mercuric chloride + alcoholic KOH clear solution. The solution formed a layer at the top of he clear solution.Ideal (+): If acetone is present, there will be a black zone (HgS) where two solutions meet (Autenrieth, 1915).

Data AnalysisLieben’s Iodoform Test

Potassium hypo-iodite (a) probably converts acetone into tri-iodo-acetone (CH3COCl3) (b) and this compound is then decomposed by potassium hydroxide into iodoform and potassium acetate (c):

(a) 6KOH + 2I2 3KI + 3KOI + 3H2O(b) CH3COCH3 + 3KOI CH3COCI3 + 3KOH(c) CH3COCI3 + KOH CHI3 + CH3COOK

Legal’s Test

The red color caused by aldehyde fades upon addition of acetic acid, and changes to green with heat. Le Nobel states that ammonium hydroxide, or ammonium carbonate solution, may be substituted for potassium hydroxide solution in Legal’s test, but under these conditions the red color is very slow to appear.

Answers to Questions:1. What are the long term health effects of exposure to acetone?

According to Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 1997:

“Prolonged or repeated contact may cause defatting of the skin and produce dermatitis (dryness, irritation, redness and cracking).

Most human population studies indicate that acetone would not produced significant health effects following long-term exposure. In a series of studies, no statistically significant differences in causes of death or clinical laboratory results were observed in 948 employees exposed to up to 1070 ppm acetone over 23 years. Another study which reviewed 18 years of industrial experience with employees in a cellulose acetate production facility did not show an increased incidence of illness. One other study did not find significant changes in clinical chemistry tests conducted on 60 employees who had worked at least 5 years in the acetate fibre manufacturing industry (exposures of 550-1050 ppm).

No conclusions can be drawn from other reports which have described effects following long-term acetone exposure. These reports are limited by factors such as the small number of workers studied, the fact that other exposures may have contributed to or caused the observed effects and/or possible self- reporting biases. In one study, 110 men were exposed to a mean concentration of 361 ppm acetone for an average of 14.9 years. These men reported more heavy headedness, nausea, faintness, weight loss, eye irritation than a comparison group with no acetone exposure. They also did not perform as well on some neurobehavioural tests (reaction time and digit span tests). A few historical reports have also described long-term exposure effects such as irritation of the airways, throat, stomach and occasionally, dizziness, attacks of giddiness and a loss of strength”.

2. Will acetone act in a synergistic manner with other materials (will its effects be more than the sum of the effects from the exposure to each chemical alone?

Acetone has increased the liver toxicity of chemicals, such as carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, trichloroethylene, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, N-nitrosodimethylamine and 1,1,2-trichloroethane, the lung toxicity of styrene and the toxicity of acetonitrile and 2,5-hexanedione in laboratory animals. It appears to inhibit the metabolism and elimination of ethyl alcohol, thereby potentially increasing its toxicity. Acetone can either increase or decrease the toxicity of 1,2-dichlorobenzene, depending on the concentration of acetone used (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 1997).

III. Conclusion/s:

Acetone is used mainly as a solvent and intermediate in chemical production. As a solvent, we use it to remove nail polish. Human urine almost always contains a very small quantity of acetone as a physiological content. Acetone is not poisonous not in the least corrosive. Man and animals can tolerate considerable quantities of acetone taken internally. It seems to produce no effect but prolonged exposure to acetone can cause defatting of the skin. As future pharmacists, it is our duty to identify acetone as a potential toxicant. We should know how to detect it in the laboratory by performing Lieben’s Iodoform test, Reynold’s test and Legal’s test.

IV. Bibliography:

Autenrieth, W. (1915). Laboratory Manual for The Detection of Poisons and Powerful Drugs. (W. H. Warren, Trans.) Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son & Co.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (1997, December 18). 2-Health Effects of Acetone. Retrieved January 04, 2010, from ccohs.ca: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/acetone/health_ace.html#_1_5