▁explos ive ▁tr init rot olu ene ▁( T NT ), ▁so ▁it ▁is ▁un sur pr ising ▁that ▁its ▁safety ▁characteristics ▁have ▁been ▁studied ▁in ▁some ▁detail . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁nit ro ▁mus ks ▁were ▁first ▁discovered ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁produce ▁new ▁high ▁explos ives . ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁– ▁al beit ▁in ▁very ▁small ▁amounts ▁– ▁in ▁mass - market ▁consumer ▁products ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁hundred ▁years . ▁The ▁discovery ▁of ▁mus k ▁x yl ene ▁resid ues ▁in ▁the ▁environment ▁prompt ed ▁new ▁concerns ▁about ▁its ▁possible ▁long - term ▁to x icity , ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁sharp ▁decl ine ▁in ▁its ▁use ▁from ▁the ▁mid ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁European ▁Chem ical s ▁Agency ▁has ▁listed ▁mus k ▁x yl ene ▁as ▁a ▁" subst ance ▁of ▁very ▁high ▁concern " ▁( SV HC ) ▁under ▁the ▁RE AC H ▁Reg ulation , ▁jud ging ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁" very ▁persistent ▁and ▁very ▁bio acc um ulative " ▁( v P v B ) ▁but ▁not ▁meeting ▁the ▁criteria ▁for ▁human ▁or ▁environmental ▁to x icity ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁concern . ▁ ▁Ex pl os ive ▁properties ▁ ▁Mus k ▁x yl ene ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁case ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Man ual ▁of ▁Test ▁Method s ▁and ▁C riteria ▁as ▁a ▁subst ance ▁which ▁shows ▁some ▁explos ive ▁properties ▁but ▁which ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁transport ed ▁as ▁Class   1 ▁dangerous ▁goods ▁under