Journal of Occupational Health
Online ISSN : 1348-9585
Print ISSN : 1341-9145
ISSN-L : 1341-9145
Invited Mini-Reviews
Health risks of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) in humans
Tetsuo Nomiyama Teruomi TsukaharaKohei Hasegawa
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JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2025 Volume 67 Issue 1 Article ID: uiaf010

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Abstract

N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC), which is widely used as an industrial solvent, can be absorbed via the respiratory tract and skin of humans exposed to it. Hepatotoxicity is a main health risk of DMAC exposure in humans, and the relevant cases and epidemiological studies are reviewed herein. No hepatotoxicity was identified in workers exposed to ~3 ppm DMAC, and among workers exposed to >9 ppm DMAC the DMAC exposure was not observed to contribute significantly to liver damage. However, a case of liver damage was identified in which the calculated 8-hour weighted average was 12.8 mg/m3 (3.6 ppm). The skin absorption notation for DMAC is indicated based on human volunteer studies. The evidence regarding DMAC’s potential carcinogenicity in humans is not sufficient, and our literature search identified no report of DMAC as a reproductive toxicant in humans. Further case reports and epidemiological studies are necessary to determine the acceptable DMAC exposure limit for workers and thus protect them from DMAC’s toxicity.

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© The Author(s) [2025]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japan Society for Occupational Health

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