[WestCoastGal]

"Steele said methyl-ethyl ketone and methyl-isobutyl ketone, the chemicals released into the river, are used in the manufacturing of lubricating oil. The chemicals were described as highly volatile"

[knak]

Nice to know that kind of crap might be getting into your water huh? I wonder how this happened.

[baltodog]

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is a highly explosive solvent/cleaner...we use it like windex in the aircraft industry...it's a de-greaser.

I lit a teaspoon of it once in my driveway -- CRACK!-- it didn't burn...it "popped".

It evaporates as soon as it's exposed to air.

[TWhiteBear]

This is a little delayed, but I had to feed the cows.This is a brief summary from the 1966 North American Emergency Response Handbook, the latest I have in the house.
Methyl ethyl ketone: a flammable liquid(polar and water miscible) Highly flammable, vapors may form explosive mixtures with air, most vapors heavier than air, some may polymerize explosively when heated or involved with fire, may produce irritating, corrosive andor toxic gases.
Stay upwind,keep out of low places, isolate spill area for 25 to 50 meters or 80 to 160 feet,Large Spill should consider initial evacuation of 300 meters or 1000 feet.
Methyl isobutyl ketone: this is the same as above.If the spill is methyl isobutyl ketone peroxide, this is really bad stuff and do the above only more and faster.
Several cautions pertain like do not try real science or involvement in the incident unless you have special training. For most folks, use the rule of thumb and compare the size of the incident to the size of your thumb at arms length. If the incident is larger than your thumb, you are TOO close and get further away. Back to the game.