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Chlorine trifluoride
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 7790–91–2
NIOSH REL: 0.1 ppm (0.4 mg/m3) CEILING
Current OSHA PEL: 0.1 ppm (0.4 mg/m3) CEILING
1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.1 ppm (0.38 mg/m3) CEILING
Description of Substance: Colorless gas or a greenish-yellow liquid (below 53 F) with a somewhat sweet, suffocating odor.
LEL: . . Nonflammable Gas
Original (SCP) IDLH: 20 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the following data presented by Horn and Weir [1955] concerning the inhalation toxicology of chlorine trifluoride. “Two dogs and 20 rats were exposed 6 hours/day for 2 days to 21 ppm. No mortality occurred among the animals, but during the first day’s exposure, the dogs became nauseated, coughed up a small quantity of mucous material, and had rapid respiration and salivation. Both the rats and the dogs had a singed feel to their fur.” This is probably a conservative IDLH because Deichmann and Gerarde [1969] made the statement that 50 ppm or more may be fatal in 0.5 to 2 hours.
Existing short-term exposure guidelines: National Research Council [NRC 1984] Emergency Exposure Guidance Levels (EEGLs):
10-min EEGL: 7 ppm
30-min EEGL: 3 ppm
60-min EEGL: 1 ppm
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50(ppm) | LCLo(ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) | Derivedvalue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RatRat
Rat Mouse Monkey Rat |
Dost et al. 1974Dost et al. 1974
Horn and Weir 1955 MacEwen and Vernot 1970 MacEwen and Vernot 1970 Vernot et al. 1977 |
LC100: 800LC100: 400
95 178 230 299 |
———-
—– —– —– —– |
15 min35 min
4 hr 1 hr 1 hr 1 hr |
632 ppm (0.79)420 ppm (1.05)
190 ppm (2.0) 223 ppm (1.25) 288 ppm (1.25) 374 ppm (1.25) |
63 ppm42 ppm
19 ppm 22 ppm 29 ppm 37 ppm |
Other animal data: No mortality occurred among 2 dogs and rats exposed to 21 ppm for 6 hours but the dogs became nauseated, coughed up a small amount of mucous material, and had rapid respiration and salivation [Horn and Weir 1955].
Human data: It has been reported that 50 ppm or more may be fatal in 30 minutes to 2 hours [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969].
| Revised IDLH: 20 ppm [Unchanged]Basis for revised IDLH: Based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969] and animals [Horn and Weir 1955; MacEwen and Vernot 1970], the original IDLH for chlorine trifluoride (20 ppm) is not being revised at this time. |
REFERENCES:
1. Deichmann WB, Gerarde HW [1969]. Chlorine trifluoride. In: Toxicology of drugs and chemicals. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., p. 651.
2. Dost FN, Reed DJ, Smith VN, Wang CH [1974]. Toxic properties of chlorine trifluoride. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 27:527-536.
3. Horn HJ, Weir RJ [1955]. Inhalation toxicology of chlorine trifluoride. AMA Arch Ind Health 12:515-517.
4. MacEwen JD, Vernot CH [1970]. Toxic Hazards Research Unit annual technical report: 1970. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH: Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, Report AMRL-TR-70-77.
5. NRC [1984]. Emergency and continuous exposure limits for selected airborne contaminants. Vol. 2. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, Committee on Toxicology, Board on Toxicology and Environmental Health Hazards, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, pp. 12-16.
6. Vernot EH, MacEwen JD, Haun CC, Kinkead ER [1977]. Acute toxicity and skin corrosion data for some organic and inorganic compounds and aqueous solutions. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 42:417-423.