Ethanol, 2-[(2-aminoethyl)amino] - information sheet  

AEEA
CAS Registry Number 111-41-1

Updated September 12, 2020:

The Final Screening Assessment for Ethanol, 2-[(2-aminoethyl)amino]-, also referred to as AEEA under the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP), was published on May 28, 2016. The assessment is summarized in this information sheet and has not changed. The section in this information sheet entitled "Preventive actions and reducing risk" communicates updates in risk management activities, namely:

• Publication of a notice of intent (NOI) to apply Significant New Activity (SNAc) provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) to AEEA.

On this page

• Overview
• About this substance
• Human and ecological exposures
• Key health and ecological effects (hazard)
• Risk assessment outcomes
  • Screening assessment conclusions
• Preventive actions and reducing risk
• Related information

Overview

• The Government of Canada conducted a science-based evaluation, called a screening assessment, to address the potential for harm to Canadians and to the environment from AEEA.
• Under CEPA 1999, the risk posed by a substance is determined by considering both its hazardous properties (its potential to cause adverse human health or ecological effects) and the amount of exposure there is to people and the environment. A substance may have hazardous properties; however, the risk to human health or to the environment may be low depending upon the level of exposure.
  • More information on assessing risk can be found in the Overview of Risk Assessment and related fact sheets, particularly on Types of Risk Assessment Documents and the Risk Assessment Toolbox.
• As a result of the screening assessment, the Government concluded that AEEA is not harmful to human health or the environment, at levels of exposure considered at the time of the assessment.

About these substances

• The screening assessment summarized here focused on ethanol, 2-[(2-aminoethyl)amino], also called AEEA. It was assessed as part of the Internationally Classified Substance Grouping of the Substance Groupings Initiative of the CMP.
• AEEA is an industrial chemical that does not occur naturally in the environment.
• According to information gathered by the Government, in Canada, AEEA is used mainly as a compound from which other compounds are made (chemical intermediate), but can also be used as a curing agent for epoxy resins; in commercial building materials; as a component of adhesives and sealants used in asphalt paving or patching; as a component in super glues and corrosion inhibitors; as a lubricant additive; and as an additive for cooling systems.
• AEEA can be used in the manufacture of surfactants with wide-ranging applications, such as lubricating fluids, industrial detergents, fabric softeners and cosmetics.
• AEEA may also be used in the manufacture of food packaging materials with no direct contact with food.

Human and ecological exposures

• The assessment indicated that the potential for exposure of Canadians to AEEA from the environment is expected to be minimal. Also, Canadians are not expected to be exposed to AEEA through food consumption or the use of products available to consumers.
• The assessment also indicated that AEEA releases were expected to be limited, and expected to mainly occur during handling of AEEA in industrial processes to prepare other chemicals.

Key health and ecological effects (hazard)

• The important or critical effects used to characterize the risk to human health in the assessment were developmental and reproductive effects.
• Also, AEEA has a low to moderate potential to cause toxic effects in aquatic organisms.

Risk assessment outcomes

• Based upon the information presented in the screening assessment, the risk to human health from AEEA is considered to be low.
• Results of the screening assessment indicate that AEEA is not expected to accumulate in organisms or remain in the environment for a long time. Also, the quantity of AEEA that may be released to the environment is below the level expected to cause harm to organisms.
• It was determined that there is low risk of harm to the environment from AEEA.
• The Government of Canada published the Final Screening Assessment for Ethanol, 2-[(2-aminoethyl)amino] (AEEA) on May 28, 2016.

Screening assessment conclusions

• The Government concluded that AEEA is not harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment, and that AEEA is not entering the environment at levels that are harmful to the environment.

Preventive actions and reducing risk

• Although AEEA is not considered to be harmful to human health or the environment, this substance is considered to have health effects of concern based on its potential reproductive and developmental effects. There may be a concern if exposures were to increase through, for example, an increased presence in products available to consumers.
• Therefore, in June 2016, the Government published a notice of intent (NOI) to apply the SNAc provisions of CEPA 1999 to AEEA
• On September 12, 2020, the NOI was re-published to include cosmetics and revise the original SNAc definition, based on information provided after the original SNAc notice was published. The re-published NOI has a 60-day public comment period ending on November 11, 2020.
• The SNAc provisions would require that the Government be notified of certain proposed new activities related to AEEA, and that the new activity be assessed for potential risks to human health and the environment before being undertaken.
• The NOI outlines the proposed definition of a SNAc in relation to AEEA, as well as the information that would need to be provided to the Government for assessment before the new activity is undertaken.

Related information

• AEEA may be found in products available to consumers. Canadians should follow any safety warnings and directions related to the product and dispose of products responsibly.
• The screening assessment focused on potential risks from exposure of the general population of Canada, rather than occupational exposure. Hazards related to chemicals used in the workplace are defined within the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. For information concerning workplace health and safety and what steps to take in the workplace, Canadians should consult their employer and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulator in their jurisdiction.