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Acetylene tetrabromide
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 79-27-6
NIOSH REL: The 1989 OSHA PEL may not be protective to workers.
Current OSHA PEL: 1 ppm (14 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 1 ppm (14 mg/m3) TWA
Description of substance: Pale-yellow liquid with a pungent odor similar to camphor or iodoform.
LEL: Noncombustible Liquid
Original (SCP) IDLH: 10 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: Van Haaften [1969] reported that a chemist who had been exposed to 1 to 2 ppm for 7.5 hours, with only a single 10-minute exposure at 16 ppm, almost died from liver damage. Because the TLV is 1 ppm [ACGIH 1976], it is assumed that exposure to 1 to 2 ppm would be a safe concentration for the 7.5 hours the worker was exposed. Therefore, the injury must have been produced by the 10-minute exposure to 16 ppm, and the IDLH would be expected to fall between 2 ppm and 15 ppm. For this draft technical standard, an IDLH of 10 ppm is assumed. This is an extremely toxic substance.
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 | Izmerov et al. 1982 | 38 | —– | 4 hr | 76 ppm | (2.0) | 7.6 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50(mg/kg) | LDLo(mg/kg) | Adjusted LD | Derived Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. pig | Gray 1950 | oral | 400 | —– | 195 ppm | 20 ppm |
| Rabbit | Gray 1950 | oral | 400 | —– | 195 ppm | 20 ppm |
| Mouse | Izmerov et al.1982 | oral | 269 | —– | 131 ppm | 13 ppm |
| Rat | Paustovskaya et al. 1967 | oral | 1,200 | —– | 585 ppm | 59 ppm |
Human data: Severe acute intoxication was reported in a chemist after exposure to 16 ppm for about 10 minutes and to 1 to 2 ppm for most of the day [Van Haaften 1969].
| Revised IDLH: 8 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for acetylene tetrabromide is 8 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Izmerov et al. 1982]. |
REFERENCES:
- ACGIH [1976]. TLVs, Threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents in the workroom environment with intended changes for 1976. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, p. 9.
- Gray MG [1950]. Effect of exposure to the vapors of tetrabromoethane (acetylene tetrabromide). AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 2:407-419.
- Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 107.
- Paustovskaya VV, et al. [1967]. Effect of tetrabromomethane on the parenchymatous organs in experimental conditions. Med Pr 3:80-83 (in Polish).
- Van Haaften AB [1969]. Acute tetrabromoethane (acetylene tetrabromide) intoxication in man. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 30:251-256.