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Current Issues of Interest to the TLV®-Chemical Substances Committee Daniel J. Caldwell, Ph.D., CIH, DABT ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc. Presentation Outline •Mixtures •Sensory Irritation •Particulates Not Otherwise Specified •Toxicology Issues Mixtures Appendix C, TLVs® for Mixtures • Special case: atmospheric composition is similar to original material • Application to hydrocarbon solvents using “Reciprocal Calculation Procedure” Global interest: MAK, ACGIH®, IRSST Mixtures: The Reciprocal Calculation Procedure • • • • • • Hydrocarbon Solvents are Well Defined Reciprocal Calculation Procedure Known Health Effects Group Guidance Values Mineral Spirits as an Example Conclusions Mixtures - RCP Objective: To develop a generic and harmonized method for setting exposure limits for hydrocarbon solvents. Generic: • Include all hydrocarbon solvents • Maximum advantage of existing data • Minimize effects of minor differences Harmonized: • Similar solvents have similar TLVs® • Consistent health advice worldwide Mixtures - RCP Properties of Hydrocarbon Solvents: • molecules composed only of hydrogen and carbon • n- / iso-paraffins, cycloparaffins and/or aromatics • may contain a single molecular type or be complex • boil between 35-320°C, although range is normally less • highly refined with specific technical properties • do not contain appreciable levels of benzene or carcinogenic PAHs • olefins are not covered by method KEY MESSAGE - Hydrocarbon solvents are a family of materials which contain constituents with similar chemical properties. Mixtures - RCP Procedure To Set TLV® For Hydrocarbon Solvents: • • • • applicable to all hydrocarbon solvents consider the contributions of all constituents ensure that no component exceeds its own TLV® produce changes in the TLV® which are proportional to changes in composition • sound and transparent underlying scientific assumptions • readily adaptable to changes in the TLV® of any component Mixtures - RCP Determine Sum Of Fractional TLVs® : 1 = TLVmixture Fractiona TlVa + Fractionb TLVb + Fractionn TLVn Inputs Include: • TLVs® for single constituents e.g. cyclohexane, toluene • Guidance values for groups of hydrocarbons based on structural and toxicological similarity KEY MESSAGE - RCP is based on ACGIH® mixtures formula 1 Assumes similarity of vapor and liquid compositions. Mixtures - RCP Underlying Assumptions: • • • • Similar chemistry similar toxicity Health effects of components are additive Vapor composition is similar to liquid composition Exposure limits should be based on toxicological properties KEY MESSAGE - An RCP procedure can be used for complex substances if they contain constituents with similar physical and chemical properties RCP – Group Guidance Values or What do you do when you don’t have a TLV®? Group Guidance Values • Assigning Guidance Values for Hydrocarbon Groups – Divide hydrocarbon components into groups with common health effects – Assign common guidance values to the groups – Calculate TLVs® for complex substances from individual TLVs® and Group Guidance Values using the RCP KEY MESSAGE - If group values are developed, TLVs® can be calculated for hydrocarbon solvent mixtures using a RCP. European Group Guidance Values C5-C8 Aliphatics/cycloaliphatics 1500 mg/m3 C9-C15 Aliphatics/cycloaliphatics 1200 mg/m3 C7-C8 Aromatics 200 mg/m3 C9-C15 Aromatics 100 mg/m3 Others: n-hexane Naphthalene Cyclohexane 175 mg/m3 50 mg/m3 350 mg/m3 RCP Example - Mineral Spirits Generic Term Applied To Hydrocarbon Fractions: • That boil between 140-215°C • Contain n- and iso-alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics in varying concentrations. • Contain < 1 - 30% aromatics. • Can be described by several CAS numbers. • Are often marketed in Europe under brand names, not as “mineral spirit”. KEY MESSAGE - Mineral spirits is a generic term for a range of hydrocarbon solvents.. RCP - Analysis Of A Typical Mineral Spirit Boiling range 150-200°C Flash Point ~38°C Carbon number range 8-12 Average molecular weight 141 %w/w n-/iso-cyclo-Alkanes (C5-C8) 7.4 % w/w n-iso-cyclo-Alkanes (C9-C15) 76.5 % w/w Aromatics 16.1 comprising C7/C8 aromatics 2.0 C9 aromatics 8.3 Non-listed aromatics 5.8 RCP Example Mineral Spirits Using the proposed guidance values for mineral spirits and substituting these values in the RCP formula: __1__ TLV sol = __Fra_+ TLVa ___Frb__ TLVb = 0.074 + 1500 0.765 1200 + + ..... _Frn__ TLVn 0.020 200 + 0.141 100 = 0.000049 + 0.00064 + 0.0001 + 0.00141 = 0.00219 RCP Example – Mineral Spirits • 1/TLV = 0.00219 • TLV = 456 mg/m3 • Using the rounding procedure this becomes 500 mg/m3 • Comparable to TLV® for Stoddard Solvent of 600 mg/m3 RCP - Conclusions The RCP approach is: • Application of special case of the mixtures formula • Accepted by ACGIH®, and some EU member states RCP – Conclusions (cont.) Group Guidance Values can be used to calculate TLVs® because: • Solvents do not contain highly toxic constituents • A substantial toxicology database exists • Acute CNS effects are the endpoint of greatest concern • Preventing acute CNS effects will prevent chronic effects Sensory Irritation • What is Sensory Irritation? • What data are used in developing TLVs®? • Differentiating irritation from odor • Conclusions Sensory Irritation Background Information: • Undesirable temporary effect on the eyes and upper respiratory tract • Acute, concentration dependent effect • Critical effect upon which to base a TLV® • Nearly 50% of TLVs® set to prevent irritation • Confounding of irritation response by odor Sensory Irritation Sources of Data • Animal models (RD50) • Physical/Chemical properties • Worker experience Social Expectations • Irritation is an adverse effect • “Nearly all” workers should be protected Sensory Irritation Mechanism of Sensory Irritation - Human Chemosensory System • olfactory (first cranial nerve) - smell • trigeminal (fifth cranial nerve) - irritation Perception of Irritation Impacted By • psychological context • exposure duration • inter- and intra- individual variability Nasal Chemesthesis • 2-alternative forced choice design • Simultaneous sniff from 2 vessels, one containing test substance, the other a blank • 14 trials per session Ocular Chemesthesis • 3-alternative forced choice design • Air flow of 4 L/min to displace headspace vapor into eye cup • 5 sec exposure with 10 trials per session Sensory Irritation Current Research Areas • Sensory scaling • Stimulus lateralization • Variation in sensitivity • Adaptation • Attitude and expectations • Differentiation of odor from irritation Sensory Irritation ODOR SOURCE EXPOSURE PERCEPTION APPRAISAL AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR ANNOYANCE STRESS RELATED HEALTH EFFECTS ADAPTATION HABITUATION Sensory Irritation Invited presentations: • Pam Dalton, Monell Institute • Bill Cain, Univ. California Sensory Irritation Useful Guidelines • Threshold for sensory irritation: ~ 32% of Cs • Acceptable human exposure: ~ 0.03 x RD50 • Odor threshold < Lateralization threshold < Irritation threshold Sensory Irritation Conclusions: • Remains an active research area • Effect with multiple causes • Committee seeking reliable data on irritant effects Particulates Not Otherwise Specified Appendix E: Particulates (insoluble or poorly soluble) Not Otherwise Specified • Do not have an applicable TLV® Insoluble or poorly soluble in water (preferably in aqueous lung fluid) • Have low toxicity (i.e., not cytotoxic, genotoxic, or otherwise chemically reactive with lung tissue) Particulates Not Otherwise Specified Airborne concentrations should be kept: • < 3 mg/m3, respirable particles • < 10 mg/m3, inhalable particles until such time as a TLV® is set. Toxicology Issues Reproductive Toxicity • Separate “repro” notation? • Seminar presented by MAK Commission Neurotoxicity • Differentiation of neurotoxicity from neurobehavioral effects • Seminar presented Neurobehavioral Effects of Hydrocarbon Solvents: Research Strategy ETOH “STODDARD SOLVENT”/ CYCLOHEXANE HUMAN BEHAVIORAL RAT BEHAVIORAL AND AND PK STUDIES PK STUDIES HUMAN BEHAVIORAL RAT BEHAVIORAL RAT AND AND SUBCHRONIC PK STUDIES PK STUDIES STUDIES Validation Complete OTHER REPRESENTATIVE HYDROCARBON SUBSTANCES RAT BEHAVIORAL AND PK STUDIES