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Oxygen difluoride

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

CAS number: 7783–41–7

NIOSH REL: 0.05 ppm (0.1 mg/m3) CEILING

Current OSHA PEL: 0.05 ppm (0.1 mg/m3) TWA

1989 OSHA PEL: 0.05 ppm (0.1 mg/m3) CEILING

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.05 ppm (0.11 mg/m3) CEILING

Description of substance: Colorless gas with a peculiar, foul odor.

LEL: . . Nonflammable Gas

Original (SCP) IDLH: 0.5 ppm

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statements by Deichmann and Gerarde [1969] that oxygen difluoride is a strong irritant to the entire respiratory tract and causes pulmonary edema and hemorrhage when inhaled for a few hours at 0.5 ppm. Development of pulmonary signs leading to death may be delayed several hours after the exposure [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969]. In addition, AIHA [1967] reported that the Committee on Toxicology of the National Research Council recommended an Emergency Exposure Limit (EEL) of 0.5 ppm for a 10-minute exposure. This EEL is supposed to be for exposures that are “rare in the lifetime of an individual and permit some degree of reversible injury short of incapacitation” [Smyth 1966].

Existing short-term exposure guidelines: National Research Council (NRC) Emergency Exposure Limits (EELs) recommended to military and space agencies [Smyth 1966]:

10-minute EEL: 0.5 ppm

30-minute EEL: 0.2 ppm

60-minute EEL: 0.1 ppm

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:

Lethal concentration data:

Species Reference LC50 (ppm) LCLo (ppm) Time Adjusted 0.5-hr LC (CF) Derived value
RatMouse

Dog

Monkey

Darmer et al. 1972Darmer et al. 1972

Darmer et al. 1972

Darmer et al. 1972

2.61.5

26

16

———-

—–

—–

1 hr1 hr

1 hr

1 hr

3.3 ppm (1.25)1.9 ppm (1.25)

33 ppm (1.25)

20 ppm (1.25)

0.3 ppm0.2 ppm

3.3 ppm

2.0 ppm

Human data: Oxygen difluoride is a strong irritant to the entire respiratory tract and causes pulmonary edema and hemorrhage when inhaled for a few hours at 0.5 ppm [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969].

REFERENCES:

1. AIHA [1967]. Oxygen difluoride. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 28:194-196.

2. Darmer KI Jr, Haum CC, MacEwen JD [1972]. The acute inhalation toxicology of chlorine pentafluoride. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 33:661-668.

3. Deichmann WB, Gerarde HW [1969]. Oxygen difluoride (OF2). In: Toxicology of drugs and chemicals. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., p. 444.

4. Smyth HF Jr [1966]. Military and space short-term inhalation standards. Arch Environ Health 12:488-490.