MEK Side effects

[joedallas]

I am using MEK to clean the parts of my fuel tanks and for four
or five days after I am coughing up phlegm and feeling sick

At first I thought it was the flu and then a relapse of the flu.

Has this affected anyone else in this manner

Joe Dallas

[Terrybrd]

MEK is very hazardous to your health if you read the label.

I used to work for an aircraft manufacturing company that bought it in 55 gal drums and they banned it and went to something else.

I would use some thing else that doesn't bother you and follow the directions on the label.

[brad walton]

PPE personal protective equipment is mandatory. Protect yourself from skin absorption as well as inhalation. You need good gloves that don't break down from MEK or other solvents and a respirator designed for this exposure. Listen to what your body has told you.

[DonFromTX]

I use it often, no gloves or breathing protection and it has never bothered me. I probably should be more careful.

[1001001]

MEK, along with many of the other industrial chemicals we use in this hobby, is classified as a hazardous substance, both for health and flammability reasons. This includes solvents, paints and primers, etchants, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, fuels, etc. As a chemical engineer, I have spent my career working with these types of materials and can tell you that the health implications are no joke. Please read the SDS provided with any chemical you find yourself using, and follow the PPE recommendations.

Not everyone's body reacts the same way with acute noticable symptoms, so even if you do not experience them, you could be setting yourself up for serious chronic effects later in life if you don't take appropriate precautions.

If you haven't received an SDS with the chemical, please take the time to look it up on the internet.

Here is a representative SDS for MEK.
http://www.jasco-help.com/uploads/ge...ME180_MSDS.pdf

[SHIPCHIEF]

I was diagnosed with 'non-infectious hepatitis' after getting MEK all over my hands while cleaning a special filter. I had been sick for a week or more.
The doctor says it's common for people who work with dry cleaning laundry. Who knew?
Stoddard solvent and acetone are much safer.
I avoid MEK now, and find Acetone will do the job most of the time.
Acetone is a human byproduct. Acetone Breath is a condition of diabetes.
Because humans naturally expel acitone, I think it won't be (as) harmful in limited exposure.

[rhill]

Originally Posted by SHIPCHIEF

I was diagnosed with 'non-infectious hepatitis' after getting MEK all over my hands while cleaning a special filter. I had been sick for a week or more.
The doctor says it's common for people who work with dry cleaning laundry. Who knew?
Stoddard solvent and acetone are much safer.
I avoid MEK now, and find Acetone will do the job most of the time.
Acetone is a human byproduct. Acetone Breath is a condition of diabetes.
Because humans naturally expel acitone, I think it won't be (as) harmful in limited exposure.

Scott, I think you nailed it. They call it Methyl,Ethel,Death for a reason.May not be a bad time to check in with GP and a little blood work.IMHO

[RFSchaller]

I use it occasionally to remove epoxy, but I like acetone or alcohol much better. I find that alcohol will do the cleaning job 90% of the time.

The first time I encountered MEK was when I was covering a Searey in Poly Fiber. It's an amazing solvent, but really nasty!

[N15JB]

In addition to all of the above, MEK is great at removing grease/oil/fats. Your brain is mostly fat. Years ago I did research on the effects of drugs of abuse on the brain. Kids who sniffed paint/glue/solvents had significant areas of lost brain tissue that will never recover.

Re the previous post about diabetes and acetone, the chemical in diabetes is actually ketone; similar but not identical.

[chris mitchell]

Actually it's ketone bodies that excreted - acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone. Just have to sniff a patients breath!

MEK is also an anesthetic.

Nasty stuff; beware!

Chris