Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Climate change
    Climate change Driving climate action, science and innovation so we are ready for the future.
    • Climate science and adaptation
    • Australia's climate change strategies
    • Emissions reduction
    • Emissions reporting
    • International commitments
    • Climate Active
    • Climate change publications and data
    • Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (Emissions Data)
    Stronger action on climate change

    Stronger action on climate change

    See how the Australian Government is committed to taking more ambitious action on climate change.

    Find out more

  • Energy
    Energy Building a secure and sustainable energy system for all Australians.
    • Energy policy in Australia
    • Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
    • Renewable energy
    • Energy publications
    • energy.gov.au
    • Energy Rating
    • Commercial Building Disclosure Program
    • Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
    • Your Home
    • Reducing transport emissions
    Photo of commercial laundry focused on a washer and dryer

    Energy Ratings labels

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

    Helping consumers choose energy-efficient appliances

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • Biodiversity
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Invasive species
    • Land
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
    • Wildlife trade
    Decorative image

    Read our Nature Positive Plan

    Our plan sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to environmental law reform

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water supply for industry, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Office of the Science Convenor
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Our climate is changing

    Our climate is changing

    Find out more about how climate science helps Australians with the impacts of climate change.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We lead Australia’s response to climate change and sustainable energy use, and protect our environment, heritage and water.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • People and jobs
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    2023-24 May Budget

    2023-24 Budget

    The 2023-24 Budget has been delivered. Find out what's been announced.

    Find out what's been announced

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Environment protection
  4. National Pollutant Inventory
  5. Substances
  6. Substance fact sheets
  7. Ethylbenzene

Sidebar first - EN - Protection

  • Substances
    • Fact sheets
    • Background
    • Substance list and thresholds

Ethylbenzene

On this page

  • Overview
  • Health effects
  • Environmental effects
  • Sources of emissions
  • References

Description

Ethylbenzene is used primarily in the production of styrene and synthetic polymers. It is used as a solvent; a constituent of asphalt and naphtha; and in synthetic rubber, fuels, paints, inks, carpet glues, varnishes, tobacco products, and insecticides. It is a component of automotive and aviation fuels. It is also used to make other chemicals, including acetophenone, cellulose acetate, diethyl-benzene, ethyl anthraquinone, ethylbenzene sulfonic acids, propylene oxide, and alpha-methylbenzyl alcohol.

Substance details

Substance name: Ethylbenzene

CASR number: 100-41-4

Molecular formula: C8H10

Synonyms: EB, ethylbenzol, phenylethane, Ethyl Benzene 

Physical properties

Ethylbenzene is a colourless liquid that smells like petrol.

Boiling Point: 136.2°C

Melting Point: 94.97°C

Vapour Density: 3.66

Vapour Pressure: 9.53 mm Hg at 25°C

Specific Gravity: 0.867 at 20°C

Chemical properties

Ethylbenzene is a flammable and combustible liquid. Its vapours are heavier than air and may travel to a source of ignition and flash back. In liquid form, it floats on water and may travel to a source of ignition and spread fire. I ts combustion may produce irritants and toxic gases. Ethylbenzene may accumulate static electricity and will react with oxidising materials. It is miscible with organic solvents and soluble in alcohol and ether. It evaporates at room temperature and burns easily. It moves easily into the air from water and soil and is most commonly found as a vapour in the air.

Further information

The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) holds data for all sources of ethylbenzene emissions in Australia.

  • Australia's ethylbenzene emission report

Description

Exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. High concentration can cause you to become dizzy, light headed, or to pass out. Very high levels can cause paralysis, trouble breathing and death. Prolonged exposure can cause drying, scaling and even blistering. High exposure may damage the liver. Chronic (long term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to ethylbenzene and can last for months or years. Ethylbenzene in high levels is broken down more slowly in your body than low levels of ethylbenzene. Similarly, ethylbenzene mixed with other solvents is also broken down more slowly than ethylbenzene alone.

Entering the body

When you breathe air containing ethylbenzene vapour, it enters your body rapidly and almost completely through your lungs. Ethylbenzene in food or water can also rapidly and almost completely enter your body through the digestive tract. It may enter through your skin when you come into contact with liquids containing ethylbenzene. Ethylbenzene vapours do not enter through your skin to any large degree. People living in urban areas or in areas near hazardous waste sites may be exposed by breathing air or by drinking water contaminated with ethylbenzene.

Exposure

In the work place exposure to ethylbenzene occurs in factories that use ethylbenzene to produce other chemicals as well as gas, petroleum and coal tar processes. Other occupational exposure may be associated with varnish workers, spray painters, and persons involved in gluing operations. Exposure to ethylbenzene occurs from the use of certain consumer products, gasoline, pesticides, solvents, carpet glues, varnishes, paints, and tobacco smoke.

Workplace exposure standards

Safe Work Australia sets the workplace exposure standard for ethylbenzene through the workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants:

  • Maximum eight hour time weighted average (TWA): 100 parts per million (434 mg/m3)
  • Maximum short term exposure limit (STEL): 125 parts per million (543 mg/m3)

These standards are only appropriate for use in workplaces and are not limited to any specific industry or operation. Make sure you understand how to interpret the standards before you use them.

Drinking water guidelines

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines include the following guidelines for acceptable water quality:

  • Maximum of 0.3 milligrams per litre of water for health purposes
  • Maximum of 0.003 milligrams per litre of water for aesthetic considerations

Description

Acute toxic effects may include the death of animals, birds, or fish, and death or low growth rate in plants. Ethylbenzene has high acute toxicity to aquatic life. It has caused injury to various agricultural crops. Insufficient data are available to evaluate or predict the short-term effects of ethylbenzene to birds or land animals. Chronic toxic effects may include shortened lifespan, reproductive problems, lower fertility, and changes in appearance or behaviour. Ethylbenzene has a slight tendency to bioaccumulate.

Entering the environment

Ethylbenzene is very volatile so is mostly present in air. It can also be transported by water. It can also move very quickly into groundwater, since it does not readily bind to soil . About 99.5% of ethylbenzene will eventually end up in air; the rest will end up in the water.

Where it ends up

Once in the air, other chemicals help break down ethylbenzene into chemicals found in smog. This breakdown happens in about 3 days with the aid of sunlight. In surface water such as rivers and harbours, ethylbenzene breaks down by reacting with other compounds naturally present in the water. In soil, the major way ethylbenzene is broken down is by soil bacteria.

Environmental guidelines

-

Industry sources

Point sources of ethylbenzene are factories that use ethylbenzene as part of their manufacturing process and from coal tar and petroleum processing facilities. Ethylbenzene is also emitted from some hazardous waste sites.

Diffuse sources, and industry sources included in diffuse emissions data

Ethylbenzene is emitted from a wide range of products and has been widely detected in low concentrations both indoors and outside. Indoor concentrations may be higher due to a greater number of sources. It is present in tobacco smoke.

Natural sources

It occurs naturally in coal tar and petroleum.

Transport sources

Ethylbenzene will be released from fuel filling and from vapours from motor vehicle fuel tanks.

Consumer products

Gasoline contains about 2% ethylbenzene by weight. Other products that may contain ethylbenzene include; household paints, agricultural chemicals, automotive paints and primers, car body polish and cleaners, bathroom tub and tile cleaners, building and construction plastic foam insulation, floor polish, furniture polish and cleaners, ground/traffic marking coatings, herbicides, insecticides, laundry starch preparations, loose mineral wool fibre, non-structural caulking compounds and sealants, cleaning and sanitation products, oven cleaners, paint and varnish removers, paint thinners, rug and upholstery cleaners, carpets and rugs, sheet vinyl flooring and waterproofing compounds.

Sources used in preparing this information

  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (accessed, June 1999)
  • Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) (1992), Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters.
  • Chemfinder (accessed, June 1999)
  • Meagher, D (1991), The Macmillan Dictionary of The Australian Environment, Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.
  • National Environment Protection Council (1998), National Environment Protection Measure for the National Pollutant Inventory. (accessed, March, 1999)
  • New Jersey Dept of Health, Right to Know, TRIFacts (accessed, June 1999)
  • Richardson, M (1992), Dictionary of Substances and their Effects, Royal Society of Chemistry, Clays Ltd, England.
  • Sittig, M (1991), Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, 3rd edition, Noyes Publications, USA.
  • Technical Advisory Panel (1999), Final Report to the National Environment Protection Council.
  • US Department of Health and Human Services (1990), NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Publication No. 90-117.
  • US Environmental Defence Fund (accessed, June 1999)
  • US National Safety Council Environmental Health Centre Chemical Backgrounder Index (accessed, June 1999)
  • US National Toxics Program (accessed, June 1999)
  • US Toxic Release Inventory Toxis Chemicals Factsheet (accessed, June 1999)
  • USEPA Technology Transfer network (accessed, June 1999)
  • Worksafe Australia (accessed, June 1999)
  • Safe Work Australia, Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants, accessed October 2018.
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2011) - Updated October 2017, accessed May 2018
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 30 June 2022

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.