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Dimethyl sulfate
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 77–78–1
NIOSH REL: 0.1 ppm (0.5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]; NIOSH considers dimethyl sulfate to be a potential occupational carcinogen as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy [29 CFR 1990].
Current OSHA PEL: 1 ppm (5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
1989 OSHA PEL: 0.1 ppm (0.5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.1 ppm (0.52 mg/m3) TWA [skin], A2
Description of Substance: Colorless, oily liquid with a faint, onion-like odor.
LEL:. . Unknown
Original (SCP) IDLH: 10 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by Patty [1963] that a 20-minute exposure to 13 ppm caused severe symptoms in monkeys and a 20-minute exposure to 75 ppm resulted in the LC50 for guinea pigs [Ghiringhelli et al. 1957; Ghiringhelli and Sironi 1958]. No other useful data 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RatHuman
G. pig Mouse G. pig |
Batzura et al. 1980Deichmann and Gerarde 1969
Ghiringhelli et al. 1957 Gig Tr Prof Zabol 1979 Marhold 1986 |
8.6—–
75 53 32 |
—–97
—– —– —– |
4 hr10 min
20 min ? 1 hr |
17 ppm (2.0)67 ppm (0.69)
65 ppm (0.87) ? 40 ppm (1.25) |
1.7 ppm6.7 ppm
6.5 ppm ? 4.0 ppm |
Other human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
| Revised IDLH: 7 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for dimethyl sulfate is 7 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969]. [Note: NIOSH recommends as part of its carcinogen policy that the “most protective” respirators be worn for dimethyl sulfate at concentrations above 0.1 ppm.] |
REFERENCES:
1. Batzura FD, Kasparov AA, et al. [1980]. Pathogenesis of acute dimethyl sulfate intoxication (experimental study). Gig Tr Prof Zabol 24(11):55-57 (in Russian).
2. Deichmann WB, Gerarde HW [1969]. Dimethylsulfate (DMS). In: Toxicology of drugs and chemicals. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., p. 226.
3. Ghiringhelli L, Colombo W, Monteverde A [1957]. Observations on the toxicity of dimethylsulphate in animal experiments. Med Lav 48:634-641 (in Italian).
4. Ghiringhelli L, Sironi G [1958]. Dimethylsulphate and catalysis. Med Lav 49:690-693 (in Italian).
5. Gig Tr Prof Zabol [1979]; 23(3):28-32 (in Russian).
6. Marhold J [1986]. Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie, Organicke Latky. Prague, Czechoslovakia: Avicenum, p. 1079 (in Czechoslovakian).
7. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1929.