Draft Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Value Profile for Acetonitrile (CAS # 75-05-8)

Document

NIOSH Skin Notation Profiles [PDF – 285 KB]

Required Elements for Initial Public Posting

Subject: This dissemination presents the recently proposed IDLH concentration value for Acetonitrile.

Purpose: Acute or short-term exposures to high concentrations of some airborne chemicals have the ability to quickly overwhelm workers, resulting in a spectrum of undesirable outcomes that may include irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, severe irreversible health effects, impairment of the ability to escape from the exposure environment, and, in extreme cases, death. (IDLH) values are established (1) to ensure that the worker can escape from a given contaminated environment in the event of failure of the respiratory protection equipment and (2) to indicate a maximum level above which only a highly reliable breathing apparatus, providing maximum worker protection, is permitted.

Timing of Review: Estimated range of dates from: 5/5/2017 to: 6/19/2017

Primary Disciplines or Expertise Needed for Review: Toxicology, risk assessment

Type of Review: Individual letters

Number of Reviewers: 3 or fewer

Reviewers Selected by: CDC/NIOSH

Public Nominations Requested for Reviewers: No

Opportunities for the Public to Comment: Yes,

• Public comment period concurrent with peer review. Comments identified by CDC-2017-0048 and docket number NIOSH 156-C, may be submitted by any of the following methods:
  • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
  • Mail: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH Docket Office, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, MS C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1998.

Peer Reviewers Provided with Public Comments Before Their Review: No

Charge to Peer Reviewers

Each IDLH Value Profile document provides a detailed summary of the health hazards of acute exposures to high airborne concentrations and the rationale for the proposed IDLH value with the chemical(s) of interest.

To facilitate the review of these documents, NIOSH requests that the following questions be taken into consideration:

1. Does this document clearly outline the health hazards associated with acute (or short-term) exposures to the chemical? If not, what specific information is missing from the document?
2. Are the rationale and logic behind the derivation of an IDLH value for a specific chemical clearly explained? If not, what specific information is needed to clarify the basis of the IDLH value?
3. Are the conclusions supported by the data?
4. Are the tables clear and appropriate?
5. Is the document organized appropriately? If not, what improvements are needed?
6. Are you aware of any scientific data reported in governmental publications, databases, peer-reviewed journals, or other sources that should be included within this document?