Description:
n-Hexane can be isolated from natural gas and crude oil. It is used in food processing, including the extraction of vegetable oils, and as a solvent in various products and processes. In the atmosphere, the half-life of n-Hexane is estimated to be less than 2 days. The available data suggest that the acute toxicity of n-Hexane is low. Single exposures to n-Hexane can cause vertigo, giddiness, and drowsiness. n-Hexane is a mild skin irritant that causes transient erythema when in short-term contact with skin; it can also irritate the eyes. Chronic high level n-Hexane exposure damages the nervous system, initially producing a lack of feeling in the extremities and possibly progressing to a more severe nerve damage. The anaerobic biodegradation of n-Hexane starts by addition of fumate, similar to the anerobic toluene pathway. The pathway was proposed by [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11907679|Wilkes et al., 2002].