I can't do tinctures; no alcohol for me. I'll stick with acetone; I think it's safer that iso anyway. Here's some interesting facts from Wicki:
Isopropyl alcohol can be
oxidized to
acetone, which is the corresponding
ketone
Isopropyl alcohol was oxidized to
acetone for the preparation of
cordite, a smokeless,
low explosive propellant.
Isopropyl is primarily produced by combining water and
propene in a
hydration reaction or by hydrogenating
acetone.
Toxicology[edit]
Isopropyl alcohol and its
metabolite,
acetone, act as
central nervous system (CNS)
depressants.
[31] Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption.
Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include
flushing,
headache,
dizziness,
CNS depression,
nausea,
vomiting,
anesthesia,
hypothermia,
low blood pressure,
shock,
respiratory depression, and
coma.
[31] Overdoses may cause a fruity odor on the breath as a result of its metabolism to
acetone.
[32] Isopropyl alcohol does not cause an
anion gap acidosis but it produces an
osmolal gap between the calculated and measured osmolalities of serum, as do the other alcohols.
[31]
Isopropyl alcohol is oxidized to form acetone by
alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver,
[31] and has a
biological half-life in humans between 2.5 and 8.0 hours.
[31] Unlike
methanol or
ethylene glycol poisoning, the metabolites of isopropyl alcohol are considerably less toxic, and treatment is largely supportive. Furthermore, there is no indication for the use of
fomepizole, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, unless co-ingestion with methanol or ethylene glycol is suspected.
[33]
In
forensic pathology, people who have died as a result of
diabetic ketoacidosis usually have blood concentrations of isopropyl alcohol of tens of mg/dL, while those by fatal isopropyl alcohol ingestion usually have blood concentrations of hundreds of mg/dL.
[19]
Acetone, or
propanone, is an
organic compound with the
formula (
CH3)2
CO.
[15] It is the simplest and smallest
ketone
Acetone is produced and disposed of in the human body through normal metabolic processes. It is normally present in blood and urine. People with
diabetic ketoacidosis produce it in larger amounts. Reproductive toxicity tests show that it has low potential to cause reproductive problems.
Ketogenic diets that increase
ketone bodies (acetone,
β-hydroxybutyric acid and
acetoacetic acid) in the blood are used to counter
epileptic attacks in infants and children who suffer from
refractory epilepsy
Toxicity[edit]
Acetone has been studied extensively and is believed to exhibit only slight toxicity in normal use. There is no strong evidence of chronic health effects if basic precautions are followed.
[60] It is generally recognized to have low acute and chronic toxicity if ingested and/or inhaled.
[61] Acetone is not currently regarded as a
carcinogen, a
mutagenic chemical nor a concern for chronic
neurotoxicity effects.
[59]
Acetone can be found as an ingredient in a variety of consumer products ranging from cosmetics to processed and unprocessed foods. Acetone has been rated as a
generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance when present in beverages, baked foods, desserts, and preserves at concentrations ranging from 5 to 8 mg/L.
[61]
Acetone is however an irritant, causing mild skin irritation and moderate to severe eye irritation. At high vapor concentrations, it may depress the
central nervous system like many other solvents.
[62] Acute toxicity for mice by ingestion (LD50) is 3 g/kg, and by inhalation (LC50) is 44 g/m3 over 4 hours.
[63]
It's a lot of info I know; BUT I'm sticking with acetone.
