NIOSH logo and tagline

n-Butylamine

May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)

CAS number: 109–73–9

NIOSH REL: 5 ppm (15 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]

Current OSHA PEL: 5 ppm (15 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]

1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 5 ppm (15 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]

Description of Substance: Colorless liquid with a fishy, ammonia-like odor.

LEL: . . 1.7% (10% LEL, 1,700 ppm)

Original (SCP) IDLH: 2,000 ppm

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by AIHA [1960] that no rats died after a 4-hour exposure to 2,000 ppm [Smyth 1956], but 3 of 3 rats died after a 50-minute exposure to 3,100 ppm [Terhaar]. No other data on acute inhalation toxicity are available on which to base the IDLH.

Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA

Lethal concentration data:

Species Reference LC50(ppm) LCLo(ppm) Time Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) Derivedvalue
Rat
RatMouse

Rat

AIHA 1960
Carpenter et al.1949Izmerov et al. 1982

Smyth 1956

LC100: 3,100—–

—–

LC100: 4,000

—–
4,000263

—–

50 min
4 hr2 hr

2-5 min

3,658 ppm (1.18)
8,000 ppm (2.0)410 ppm (1.6)

1,600-2,200 ppm (0.4/055)

366 ppm
800 ppm41 ppm

160-220 ppm

 

Lethal dose data:

Species Reference Route LD50(mg/kg) LDLo(mg/kg) Adjusted LD Derived value
RatMouse

G. pig

Cheever et al. 1982Trubko 1975

Trubko 1975

oraloral

oral

366430

430

———-

—–

843 ppm990 ppm

990 ppm

84 ppm99 ppm

99 ppm

 

Other animal data: Rats have survived a 4-hour exposure to 2,000 ppm [Cheever et al. 1982]. It has been stated that butylamine is more than twice as toxic as ethylamine by the respiratory route [ACGIH 1991].

Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.

 

REFERENCES:

1. ACGIH [1991]. n-Butylamine. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 176-177.

2. AIHA [1960]. n-Butylamine. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 21:532-533.

3. Carpenter CP, Smyth HF Jr, Pozzani UC [1949]. The assay of acute vapor toxicity and the grading and interpretation of results on 96 chemical compounds. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 31(6):343-346.

4. Cheever KL, Richards DE, Plotnick HB [1982]. The acute oral toxicity of isomeric monobutylamines in the adult male and female rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 63:150-152.

5. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 28.

6. Smyth HF Jr [1956]. Improved communication: hygienic standards for daily inhalation. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q 17:129-185.

7. Terhaar CJ [?]. Personal communication to AIHA from the Laboratory of Industrial Medicine, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY. [From AIHA [1960]. n-Butylamine. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 21:532-533.]

8. Trubko EI [1975]. Investigations on hygienic standardization of n-butylamines in water bodies. Gig Sanit 40(11):21-23 (in Russian).