Toxicity Profile for Hexylene glycol (1991)

Abstract

Hexylene glycol has, in some studies, caused skin irritation in volunteers and rabbits. Individuals exposed to the vapour suffered irritation to the eyes and upper respiratory tract, whereas the neat liquid caused severe irritation and injury in the eyes of rabbits. Cases of skin sensitization have been reported in man. Hexylene glycol was of low acute oral and dermal toxicity in laboratory animals, the principal sites of toxic attack being the liver, kidneys, lungs, gastro-intestinal tract and central nervous system. Studies involving repeated oral and dermal administration also identified the liver and kidneys as susceptible to hexylene glycol's action. No effect on fertility was seen in male rats treated orally. Hexylene glycol did not induce chromosomal damage in mammalian cells in culture and was inactive in several genotoxicity screening assays in micro-organisms (including an Ames bacterial test).