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Styrene
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 100–42–5
NIOSH REL: 50 ppm (215 mg/m3) TWA, 100 ppm (425 mg/m3) STEL
Current OSHA PEL: 100 ppm TWA, 200 ppm CEILING,
600 ppm 5-minute MAXIMUM PEAK IN ANY 3 HOURS
1989 OSHA PEL: 50 ppm (215 mg/m3) TWA, 100 ppm (425 mg/m3) STEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 50 ppm (213 mg/m3) TWA,
100 ppm (426 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]
Description of substance: Colorless to yellow, oily liquid with a sweet, floral odor.
LEL: . . . 0.9% (10% LEL, 900 ppm)
Original (SCP) IDLH: 5,000 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by Patty [1963] that rats and guinea pigs exposed to 5,000 ppm become unconscious within 1 hour [Spencer et al. 1942].
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50(ppm) | LCLo(ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse | Izmerov et al. 1982 | 2,194 | —– | 4 hr | 4,388 ppm (2.0) | 439 ppm |
| Human | Lefaux 1978 | —– | 10,000 | 30 min | 10,000 ppm (1.0) | 1,000 ppm |
| G. pig | Spencer et al. 1942 | —– | 2,771 | 14 hr | 8,314 ppm (3.0) | 831 ppm |
| Rat | Tiunov et al. 1982 | 5,543 | —– | 4 hr | 11,085 ppm (2.0) | 1,109 ppm |
Other animal data: RD50 (mouse), 980 ppm [Alarie 1981].
Other human data: Volunteers exposed to 376 ppm for up to 7 hours experienced unpleasant subjective symptoms and objective signs of neurologic impairment [Stewart et al. 1968]. Drowsiness, nausea, headache, fatigue, and dizziness have been reported in workers exposed to 200 to 700 ppm [AIHA 1959].
| Revised IDLH: 700 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for styrene is 700 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [AIHA 1959; Stewart et al. 1968]. |
REFERENCES:
1. AIHA [1959]. Styrene monomer. In: Hygienic guide series. Akron, OH: American Industrial Hygiene Association.
2. Alarie Y [1981]. Dose-response analysis in animal studies: prediction of human responses. Environ Health Perspect 42:9-13.
3. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 106.
4. Lefaux R [1978]. Practical toxicology of plastics. Cleveland, OH: Chemical Rubber Co., p. 77.
5. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1230.
6. Spencer HC, Irish DD, Adams EM, Rowe VK [1942]. The response of laboratory animals to monomeric styrene. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 24(10):295-296.
7. Stewart RD, Dodd HC, Baretta ED, Schaffer AW [1968]. Human exposure to styrene vapor. Arch Environ Health 16:656-662.
8. Tiunov LA, Zhuvov VG, et al. [1982]. Toxicity of sulfothreenaphtilenfurane. Gig Tr Prof Zabol 26(8):53-56 (in Russian).