Dimethyl sulfide
Agent Name
Dimethyl sulfide
CAS Number
75-18-3
Formula
C2-H6-S
Major Category
Other Classes
Synonyms
Dimethyl sulfide; Dimethyl sulphide; Methane, thiobis-; 2-Thiapropane; DMS; Dimethyl monosulfide; Dimethyl thioether; Dimethylsulfid [Czech]; Exact-S; Methanethiomethane; Methyl monosulfide; Methyl thioether; Methylthiomethane; Sulfure de methyle [French]; Thiobis(methane); Methyl sulfide; [ChemIDplus]
Category
Sulfur Compounds
Description
Colorless liquid with a very unpleasant odor; [ACGIH]
Sources/Uses
Dimethyl sulfide is a common air pollutant of paper mills, sewage treatment plants, and oil refineries. It is used as a food flavoring agent. [ACGIH] Also used as a chemical intermediate, a sulfiding agent, an anti-coking agent, a gas odorant, and a mineral salt solvent; [CHEMINFO]
Comments
Liquid can cause first degree burns after short contact. [CHRIS] Decomposes on heating to release hydrogen sulfide and sulfur oxides; [ICSC] Low toxicity after skin or inhalation exposure; [HSDB] When applied to the skin, under a patch, for 48 hours, 1% dimethyl sulfide in petroleum jelly does not cause skin irritation. Dimethyl sulfide vapor can reach high concentrations at room temperature and act as a simple asphyxiant. It is a skin and respiratory tract irritant and can cause CNS depression after heavy inhalation exposure. From a case report, one worker in a storage tank died after exposure to about 500,000 ppm. The death was attributed to dimethyl sulfide toxicity and simple asphyxiation. [CHEMINFO]
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
No
TLV (ACGIH)
10 ppm
Vapor Pressure
502 mm Hg
Odor Threshold Low
0.0098 ppm
Odor Threshold High
0.02 ppm
Lethal Concentration
LC50 (rat) = 40,250 ppm/4 hr
Explanatory Notes
Boiling point = 37 degrees C; [ICSC] Odor threshold from CHEMINFO; VP from HSDB;
Reference Link #2
NFPA
burn readily
ERPG-1
0.5 ppm
ERPG-2
1,000 ppm
ERPG-3
5,000 ppm
Adverse Effects
Neurotoxin
Other CNS neurotoxin
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns
Other Poison
Simple Asphyxiant
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Diseases
Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: