Propylene Oxide

A Registered Fumigant, A Proven Insecticide
 
Background
 
  Propylene Oxide is a low boiling (95 F) liquid. It is in a class called "epoxides" because it has a shared oxygen atom that can react readily with many chemicals such as sulfur and amine compounds like DNA. It will react with OH groups when catalyzed with either an acid or a base. For this reason it has wide applications in the manufacturing of glycols when PPO is reacted with water, food emulsifiers when reacted with fatty acids and to modify (make more water soluble) starches by reacting PPO with water dispersions of starch at pH 13-14. Over 10 billion pounds of PPO are used annually to make propylene glycol, modified glycols for polyurethane foams, surfactants, emulsifiers and thousands of other products used by each of us daily.

PPO has been used to treat food since 1958 and is the only FDA/EPA authorized procedure allowed for reducing the bacteria, mold, and yeast in nutmeats and cocoa powder. PPO has been used as an insecticidal fumigant.
   
Properties and Exposure Limits of Propylene Oxide
 
 
  1. Description - Liquid at room temperature with boiling point at 95 F
  2. Flammability - Flammable from 1.7-37% by volume in air
  3. Inhalation limits - OSHA 100 PPM 8 hr TWA, EPA 20 PPM, PPO has a noticeable odor
  4. Oral toxicity - Converts to propylene glycol (GRAS) in low pH 2 of stomach
  5. Eye and Skin Irritation - Can burn eyes and irritate skin if not washed off promptly
  6. California Prop 65 rates PPO as a carcinogen but not a teratogen
   
Equipment and Procedures for Food Fumigation
   
 
  1. Equipment - Basic equipment would be a vacuum chamber and volatizer
  2. Procedure - Product is loaded into a vacuum chamber, a vacuum to 26" Hg is pulled, then volatized PPO is admitted. After 4 hours PPO is removed by many air washes
   

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