Health risks of N,N -dimethylacetamide (DMAC) in humans

N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC), which is widely used as an industrial solvent, can be absorbed via the respiratory tract and skin of humans exposed to DMAC. Hepatotoxicity is a main health risk of DMAC exposure in humans, and the relevant cases and epidemiological studies are reviewed herein. No hepatotoxicity was identified in workers exposed to approx. 3-ppm DMAC, and among workers exposed to > 9-ppm DMAC the DMAC exposure was not observed to contribute significantly to the liver damage. However, a case of liver damage was identified in which the calculated 8-hour weighted average was 12.8 mg/m3 (3.6 ppm). The skin absorption notation for DMAC is indicated based on human volunteer studies. The evidence regarding DMAC's potential carcinogenicity in humans is not sufficient, and our literature search identified no report of DMAC as a reproductive toxicant in humans. Further case reports and epidemiological studies are necessary to determine the acceptable DMAC exposure limit for workers and thus protect them from DMAC's toxicity.