WHAT IS CYCLOHEXANE, HOW IS IT USED, AND HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED?
Cyclohexane is a colorless, flammable liquid. It occurs naturally in petroleum crude oil, in volcanic gases, and in cigarette smoke. It is produced in large amounts (an estimated 338 million gallons in 1992) by four companies in the United States. US demand for cyclohexane is likely to increase at a rate of 2% to 2.5% per year. The largest users of cyclohexane are chemical companies that make adipic acid and caprolactam, chemicals used to make nylon. Chemical companies also use cyclohexane to make benzene, cyclohexanone, and nitrocyclohexane. Cyclohexane can be added to lacquers and resins, paint and varnish removers, and fungicides. It is also used as a fuel for camp stoves. Exposure to cyclohexane can occur in the workplace or in the environment following releases to air, water, land, or groundwater. Exposure can also occur when people use products that contain cyclohexane or when they smoke cigarettes. Cyclohexane enters the body when breathed in with contaminated air or when consum
