What are the uses and hazards of Acetophenone?

Acetophenone is an important organic reagent widely used in the food, flavouring, chemical, pharmaceutical and plastics industries. It is used as a flavouring agent in the manufacture of soaps and perfumes, as a flavouring agent in food, as a catalyst in olefin polymerisation, as a photosensitiser in organic synthesis, as an analgesic and anaesthetic in medical products; as a solvent in plastics and resins, etc. Acute (short-term) exposure to acetophenone vapour may produce skin irritation and transient corneal damage in humans. High concentrations may cause coma and central nervous system damage. There is no information on chronic (long term), reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects of acetophenone in humans.EPA has classified acetophenone as Group D and it cannot be classified as to human carcinogenicity.