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Tetranitromethane
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 509–14–8
NIOSH REL: 1 ppm (8 mg/m3) TWA
Current OSHA PEL: 1 ppm (8 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.005 ppm (0.04 mg/m3) TWA, A2
Description of substance: Colorless to pale-yellow liquid or solid (below 57°F) with a pungent odor.
LEL :. . Unknown
Original (SCP) IDLH: 5 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by AIHA [1964] that concentrations above 5 ppm may cause irreversible lung and systemic damage [Koelsch 1917]. Patty [1963] reported that a cat exposed to 10 ppm for 20 minutes died within 10 days [Flury and Zernik 1931], and 5 cats exposed to 7 to 25 ppm for periods ranging from 2.5 to 5 hours died within 1 to 5.5 hours [Sievers et al. 1947].
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Horn 1953 | LC65: 33 | —– | 6.5 hr | 78 ppm (2.35) | 7.8 ppm |
| Rat | Kinkead et al. 1977 | 18 | —– | 4 hr | 36 ppm (2.0) | 3.6 ppm |
| Cat | Marhold 1986 | 100 | —– | 20 min | 87 ppm (0.87) | 8.9 ppm |
| Mouse | USAF 1977 | 54 | —– | 4 hr | 108 ppm (2.0) | 11 ppm |
Other animal data: Cats exposed to 10 ppm for 20 min died within ten days [Flury and Zernik 1931]. It has been reported that cats exposed to 7 to 25 ppm for periods ranging from 2.5 to 5 hours died within 1 to 5.5 hours [Sievers et al. 1947].
Human data: It has been stated that concentrations above 5 ppm may cause irreversible lung and systemic damage [Koelsch 1917].
| Revised IDLH: 4 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: Based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Koelsch 1917] and animals [Horn 1953; Kinkead et al. 1977], the revised IDLH for tetranitromethane is 4 ppm. |
REFERENCES:
1. AIHA [1964]. Tetranitromethane. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 25:513-515.
2. Flury F, Zernik F [1931]. Schädliche gase dämpfe, nebel, rauch- und staubarten. Berlin, Germany: Verlag von Julius Springer, p. 417 (in German).
3. Horn HJ [1953]. Chemical Corps Medical Laboratories Contract Report No. 20.
4. Kinkead ER, MacEwen JD, Haun CC, Vernot EH, Dacre JC [1977]. Toxic hazards evaluation of five atmospheric pollutants from Army ammunition plants. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH: Air Force Systems Command, Aerospace Medical Division, Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Technical Report AMRL-TR-77-25.
5. Koelsch F [1917]. Die giftwirkung des tetranitromethane. Gewerbehygiene 5:185 (in German). [From AIHA [1964]. Tetranitromethane. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 25:513-515.]
6. Marhold J [1986]. Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie, Organicke Latky. Prague, Czechoslovakia: Avicenum, p. 403 (in Czechoslovakian).
7. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 2075.
8. Sievers RF, Rushing E, Gay H, Monaco AR [1947]. Toxic effects of tetranitromethane, a contaminant in crude TNT. Public Health Rep 62:1054-1058.
9. USAF [1977]. Proceedings of the 8th annual conference on environmental toxicology. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH: Air Force Systems Command, Aerospace Medical Division, Aerospace Medical Research Technical Report, AMRL-TR-77-97.