Solvent constituents in paint, glue and thinner for plastic miniature hobby

Solvent-containing products (8 paint, 29 glue and 4 thinner preparations) for plastic miniature hobby were analyzed for solvent constituents by capillary gas-chromatography. Acetone and methyl isobutyl ketone were two most extensively used solvents both in terms of frequency and concentration. Other popular solvents included ethyl alcohol and two esters of ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. In contrast, aromatics, chlorinated hydrocarbons and ethylene glycol derivatives were seldomly detected. The present findings were discussed in comparison with the observation on the materials abused for sniffing in the past, as well as constituents in the products for industrial application.