I have extremely limited information on this and it's basically third or fourth hand, so just going with what little I was told.
A colleague reports that an entire research building on their campus was shut down after they discovered methyl vinyl ketone was behind a rash of respiratory issues among the building occupants. I have to assume they had an industrial hygienist do some air quality testing. Apparently, nobody in the building uses the stuff and there are no records of anyone in the building purchasing it (I will have to suggest they do that check again but supply the synonyms but-3-en-2-one, butenone, and methylene acetone). My colleague mentioned something about drain traps and the ventilation system but it was unclear whether those were accurately identified as the source.
So, obviously, we all know MVK is nasty, bad stuff. My questions for the collective wisdom of the list are 1) has anyone run into something like this before and 2) is anyone aware of a use for MVK in the building trades or related areas that could explain this if say, a painter, plumber, HVAC person etc. were to have done work and maybe poured MVK waste down the drain etc.?
I will try to get further info, but with the holiday weekend this is all I am likely to have for the immediate short-term.
Best wishes,
Rob Toreki
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