Baby Safety / Compounds / Urethane (ethyl carbamate)

Is Urethane (ethyl carbamate) safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Urethane (ethyl carbamate), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is urethane (ethyl carbamate)?

The IUPAC name is ethyl carbamate.

Also known as: ethyl carbamate, urethane, Carbamic acid, ethyl ester, Leucethane.

IUPAC name
ethyl carbamate
CAS number
51-79-6
Molecular formula
C3H7NO2
Molecular weight
89.09 g/mol
SMILES
CCOC(=O)N
PubChem CID
5641

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Urethane (ethyl carbamate), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Urethane (ethyl carbamate), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Urethane (ethyl carbamate). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC2010Group 2A
US EPA1991probable human carcinogen (Group B2)
EPA CTX / NTP RoC—Reasonably Anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 2A - Probably carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 22 positive / 10 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 22 positive / 10 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter urethane (ethyl carbamate)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Urethane (ethyl carbamate):

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain urethane (ethyl carbamate)?

Urethane (ethyl carbamate) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about urethane (ethyl carbamate)?

Urethane (ethyl carbamate) has been classified by 7 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Urethane (ethyl carbamate) in the baby app

Look up products containing urethane (ethyl carbamate), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. IARC Monographs Volume 96: Alcohol Consumption and Ethyl Carbamate — Urethane Group 2A; Multi-Site Animal Carcinogen; Fermented Foods and Spirits; Vinyl Carbamate Epoxide Mechanism; EU Spirits Limits (2010) — iarc_monograph
  2. US EPA IRIS: Ethyl Carbamate (Urethane) — Group B2 Probable Human Carcinogen; Oral Slope Factor; Fermented Food Dietary Exposures; Former Medical Use; Canada Regulatory Limits; Sake and Wine Concentrations (1991) — regulatory
  3. EFSA Scientific Opinion on Urethane in Alcoholic Beverages — Margin of Exposure Assessment; Stone Fruit Spirit High Concentrations; Mitigation Strategies; Fermentation Chemistry; EU Regulation EC 110/2008 (2007) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →