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Cumene
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 98–82–8
NIOSH REL: 50 ppm (245 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
Current OSHA PEL: 50 ppm (245 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 50 ppm (246 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
Description of Substance: Colorless liquid with a sharp, penetrating, aromatic odor.
LEL: . . 0.9% (10% LEL, 900 ppm)
Original (SCP) IDLH: 8,000 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the rat 4-hour LC50 of 8,000 ppm [Smyth et al. 1951 cited by AIHA 1961].
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RatMouse | Smyth et al. 1951Werner et al. 1944 | —–2,000 | 8,000—– | 4 hr7 hr | 16,000 ppm (2.0)4,800 ppm (2.4) | 1,600 ppm480 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50(mg/kg) | LDLo(mg/kg) | Adjusted LD | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MouseRat | Sologob 1971Wolf et al. 1956 | oraloral | 12,7501,400 | ———- | 17,850 ppm1,960 ppm | 1,785 ppm196 ppm |
Other animal data: Daily exposures of rats to 500 ppm for 5 months resulted in no significant blood changes, although hyperemia and congestion were noted in the lungs, liver, and kidneys [Clayton and Clayton 1981].
Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
| Revised IDLH: 900 ppm [LEL]Basis for revised IDLH: Based on health considerations and acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Clayton and Clayton 1981; Smyth et al. 1951], a value of about 1,500 ppm would have been appropriate. However, the revised IDLH for cumene is 900 ppm based strictly on safety considerations (i.e., being 10% of the lower explosive limit of 0.9%). |
REFERENCES:
1. AIHA [1961]. Cumene. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 22:522-524.
2. Clayton GD, Clayton FE, eds. [1981]. Patty’s industrial hygiene and toxicology. 3rd rev. ed. Vol. 2B. Toxicology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 3308-3310.
3 Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CS [1951]. Range-finding toxicity data: list IV. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 4:119-122.
4. Sologob AM [1971]. Experimental study on substantiation of the hygienic standard values of metadiisopropylbenzol and paradiisopropylbenzol in water bodies. Gig Sanit 36(9):18-21 (in Russian).
5. Werner HW, Dunn RC, von Oettingen WF [1944] The acute effects of cumene vapors in mice. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 26:264-268.
6. Wolf MA, Rowe VK, McCollister DD, Hollingsworth RL, Oyen F [1956]. Toxicological studies of certain alkylated benzenes and benzene. Experiments on laboratory animals. AMA Arch Ind Health 14:387-398.