At a glance
| Chemical family | Indoor Air VOCs |
| CAS number | 67-64-1 |
| IARC classification | Not classified (IARC) |
| Capture class | Moderate |
| Evidence strength | Strong |
| Primary audience | General population |
Regulatory & certification status
Where Acetone stands across the major regulatory systems and the certifications a bedroom product might carry. Each row links to the governing instrument; where a jurisdiction has no specific measure, that is stated plainly rather than left blank.
| European Union | Acetone has a harmonised CLP classification (Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Index 606-001-00-8): Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319) and STOT SE 3 (H336, may cause drowsiness or dizziness). It is a registered substance under REACH but is not on the SVHC Candidate List, the Authorisation List (Annex XIV) or the Restriction List (Annex XVII), and is not covered by the EU POPs Regulation. Regulatory — ECHA |
| United States | Acetone is on the TSCA Inventory and has an EPA IRIS toxicological review, but it is not the subject of a TSCA risk evaluation or regulatory action. The IRIS assessment states that data are inadequate for an assessment of the human carcinogenic potential of acetone. It is not listed on California Proposition 65 (verified absent from the OEHHA list) for any endpoint. Regulatory — OEHHA · US EPA IRIS |
| Canada | A final screening assessment of acetone (CAS 67-64-1) under section 74 of CEPA 1999 concluded that acetone does not meet any of the criteria set out in section 64 — i.e. it is not 'toxic' under CEPA — and the Ministers proposed to take no further action under section 77. Acetone is therefore not on Schedule 1 (List of Toxic Substances). It is a substance on the Domestic Substances List. Regulatory — Government of Canada |
| Australia | Acetone (2-propanone) is on the AICIS Inventory and was assessed under the NICNAS IMAP framework (Human Health Tier II). The assessment recommends a hazard classification of Eye Irrit. 2 (H319, causes serious eye irritation) and otherwise advises that exposure be controlled through the standard hierarchy of controls; it does not classify acetone as acutely toxic or carcinogenic. Regulatory — AICIS |
| United Kingdom | Under GB CLP, acetone carries a GB Mandatory Classification (GB MCL) inherited from the EU Annex VI position retained at 31 Dec 2020: Flam. Liq. 2, Eye Irrit. 2 and STOT SE 3. It is not on the UK REACH SVHC candidate list and is not subject to a UK REACH restriction or authorisation requirement. Regulatory — HSE |
| International | No global treaty or international carcinogen determination applies. Acetone has not been evaluated by IARC (no monograph; not assigned to any carcinogen group), and it is not listed under the Stockholm Convention (POPs) or the Minamata Convention (mercury). Regulatory — IARC |
| Certifications | CertiPUR-US and GREENGUARD/GREENGUARD Gold are low-VOC emissions programs (a TVOC cap plus substance-specific limits for a defined analyte list). Acetone is not among the named target analytes in either program: it does not appear in the CertiPUR-US technical guidelines' VOC list, nor in the CDPH 'Section 01350' Standard Method v1.2 table that GREENGUARD Gold applies. Acetone would therefore be captured only generically, under the overall TVOC limit, rather than by a named acetone-specific threshold. These programs target other compounds by name (e.g. formaldehyde, toluene). Industry — CertiPUR-US · CDPH/EHLB Standard Method |
| The 72-hour test window | Readily detected. Acetone is a highly volatile VOC (boiling point ~56 C, very high vapour pressure), so it off-gasses quickly and a short ~72-hour emissions chamber test captures it well, though its volatility also means levels fade fast after manufacture. Inferred — from the compound's volatility/emission profile versus the VOC focus of short chamber tests |
What it is
Acetone — CAS 67-64-1, also known as propan-2-one or 2-propanone — is a small organic molecule and one of the simplest ketones. It is a clear, colorless liquid with very high vapor pressure (it evaporates rapidly at room temperature) and a sharp characteristic odor. It is also produced endogenously in the human body during normal metabolism — every healthy person exhales small amounts of acetone constantly.
Why it's relevant to the Atlas
The 2022 Boor mattress emission study identified acetone as one of the top four compounds emitted from memory foam mattresses, accounting for a substantial fraction of total VOC emissions. Peer-reviewed — Boor 2022, Indoor Air Acetone appears in nail polish remover, paint thinners, certain adhesives, household cleaning products, and as a byproduct of polyurethane foam aging chemistry. Its inclusion in the Atlas is primarily editorial — to demonstrate that not every detected VOC is a health concern, and that contextual interpretation is central to understanding bedroom chemistry.
Why it matters for sleep environments
At the concentrations found in normal homes, acetone does not produce documented adverse effects. The OSHA occupational exposure limit (1000 ppm) is approximately 1,000–10,000 times higher than typical residential concentrations. Acetone matters in the Atlas because it appears so consistently in mattress emission studies that any rigorous bedroom chemistry treatment must address it — and because the appropriate response is contextual interpretation rather than alarm.
Related compounds
This is a preview of an Atlas entry under development. Last reviewed 2026-05-19. If you find a factual error, contact us.