Tri-n-butyl phosphate

This book evaluates risks to human health and the environment posed by the production and use of tri-n-butyl phosphate. Tri-n-butyl phosphate is widely used worldwide as a solvent for cellulose esters, lacquers, and natural gums, as a primary plasticizer in the manufacture of plastics and vinyl resins, in the formulation of fire-resistant aircraft hydraulic fluids, and as an antifoaming agent, mainly in paper manufacturing plants. The opening sections discuss methods for enviromental sampling and analysis and summarize the main sources of human an environmental exposure. A section evaluating the behaviour of tri-n-butyl phosphate in the environment considers rates of biodegradation in different environmental media. Although tri-n-butyl phosphate has been widely detected in air, water, sediment, and biological tissues, the review notes that concentrations are usually very low. Other sections discuss routes of exposure for workers and for the general population and consider effects on organisms in the environment.