Question: What is methyl ethyl ketone? By what other name is this chemical known?
Answer: The cited reference notes: “2-Butanone, also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), is a colorless liquid with a sweet, but sharp odor. 2-Butanone is manufactured in large amounts for use in paints, glues, and other finishes because it rapidly evaporates and will dissolve many substances. It will quickly evaporate into the air. 2- Butanone is often found dissolved in water or as a gas in the air. 2-Butanone is also a natural product made by some trees and is found in some fruits and vegetables. The exhausts of cars and trucks release 2-butanone into the air. 2-Butanone is usually found in the air, water, and soil of landfills and hazardous waste sites.” “Clinical reports and animal studies have clearly shown that exposure to 2-butanone alone causes minimal chronic neurological or hepatic deficits, if any. It does potentiate both the neurotoxicity of n-hexane and methyl-n-butyl ketone and the hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform”. (https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=343&tid=60; accessed May 2017)