An official website of the United States government
Phenyl glycidyl ether
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 122–60–1
NIOSH REL: 1 ppm (6 mg/m3) 15-minute CEILING; NIOSH considers phenyl glycidyl ether to be a potential occupational carcinogen as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy [29 CFR 1990].
Current OSHA PEL: 10 ppm (60 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: 1 ppm (6 mg/m3) TWA
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 1 ppm (6.1 mg/m3) TWA
Description of substance: Colorless liquid.
LEL :. . Unknown
Original (SCP) IDLH*: Unknown [*Note: “Effective” IDLH = 500 ppm — see discussion below.]
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: ACGIH [1971] reported that 10 rats exposed to 100 ppm phenyl glycidyl ether 7 hours/day for 50 days exhibited no immediately obvious signs of toxicity, and no deaths occurred [Hine et al. 1956]. The IDLH is unknown, but for this draft technical standard, 50 ´ the OSHA PEL of 10 ppm (i.e., 500 ppm) has been chosen as the concentration above which only the “most protective” respirators are permitted. Because of the high boiling point and low vapor pressure of phenyl glycidyl ether, high concentrations are not likely to be encountered in the industrial environment.
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50 (ppm) | >LCLo (ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hr LC (CF) | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Hine et al. 1956 | >100 | —– | 8 hr | >250 ppm (2.5) | >25 ppm |
| Mouse | Hine et al. 1956 | >100 | —– | 4 hr | >200 ppm (2.0) | >20 ppm |
| Rat | Smyth et al. 1954 | >323 | —– | ? | ? | ? |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50 (mg/kg) | LDLo (mg/kg) | Adjusted LD | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Hine et al. 1956 | oral | 3,350 | —– | 4,319 ppm | 432 ppm |
| Mouse | Hine et al. 1956 | oral | 1,400 | —– | 1,571 ppm | 157 ppm |
| Mammal | Smyth et al. 1954 | oral | 4,260 | —– | 4,779 ppm | 478 ppm |
Other animal data: In an chronic study, rats exposed to 100 ppm for 7 hours/day for 50 days exhibited no immediately obvious signs of toxicity, and no deaths occurred [Hine et al. 1956].
Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
| Revised IDLH: 100 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for phenyl glycidyl ether is 100 ppm based on chronic inhalation toxicity data in animals [Hine et al. 1956]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute inhalation toxicity data for workers. [Note: NIOSH recommends as part of its carcinogen policy that the “most protective” respirators be worn for phenyl glycidyl ether at concentrations above 1 ppm.] |
REFERENCES:
1. ACGIH [1971]. Phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE). In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 206-207.
2. Hine CH, Kodama JK, Wellington JS, Dunlap MK, Anderson HH [1956]. The toxicology of glycidol and some glycidyl ethers. AMA Arch Ind Health 14:250-264.
3. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CP, Pozzani UC [1954]. Range-finding toxicity data: list V. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 10:61-68.