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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

PYRIDINE 

CAS#: 110-86-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1992 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Pyridine. 

It is one in a series of Public Health Statements 

about hazardous substances and their health effects. 

A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also 

available. This information is important because 

this substance may harm you. The effects of 

exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the 

dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal 

traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are 

present. For more information, call the ATSDR 

Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

_______________________________________ 

This Statement was prepared to give you 

information about pyridine and to emphasize the 

human health effects that may result from exposure 

to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

has identified 1,177 sites on its National Priorities 

List (NPL). Pyridine has been found at 4 of these 

sites. However, we do not know how many of the 

1,177 NPL sites have been evaluated for pyridine. 

As EPA evaluates more sites, the number of sites at 

which pyridine is found may change. This 

information is important for you to know because 

pyridine may cause harmful health effects and 

because these sites are potential or actual sources of 

human exposure to pyridine. 

When a chemical is released from a large area, such 

as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a 

drum or bottle, it enters the environment as a 

chemical emission. This emission, which is also 

called a release, does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a chemical only when you 

come into contact with the chemical. You may be 

exposed to it in the environment by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing the 

chemical or from skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to a hazardous chemical such as 

pyridine, several factors will determine whether 

harmful health effects will occur and what the type 

and severity of those health effects will be. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), the route or pathway by which you are 

exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin 

contact), the other chemicals to which you are 

exposed, and your individual characteristics such as 

age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, life style, 

and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS PYRIDINE? 

Pyridine is a flammable colorless liquid with an 

unpleasant smell. It can be made from crude coal tar 

or from other chemicals. Pyridine is used as a 

solvent and to make many different products such 

as medicines, vitamins, food flavorings, pesticides, 

paints, dyes, rubber products, adhesives, and 

waterproofing for fabrics. Pyridine can also be 

formed from the breakdown of many natural 

materials in the environment. Many of the foods 

that you eat have flavors that are the result of 

complex compounds that contain pyridine. 

Liquid pyridine evaporates into the air very easily. 

If pyridine is released to the air, it may take several 

months to years until it breaks down into other 

compounds. Pyridine also mixes very easily with 

water. If it is released to water or soil, it may break 

down in a few days to few months. 

1.2 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

PYRIDINE? 

Pyridine and pyridine-containing compounds are 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

PYRIDINE 

CAS#: 110-86-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1992 

present throughout the environment at very low 

levels. Pyridine has been found in the air inside and 

around factories that produce it or use it to make 

other products. You could be exposed to pyridine if 

you work in one of these factories or if you live or 

work near a hazardous waste site that releases it to 

the surrounding air. Pyridine is also released into 

the air from burning cigarettes and from hot coffee. 

Pyridine is not usually found in rivers or other 

natural waters. It has been found in wells in an 

industrial area in Wyoming. The levels of pyridine 

in the well water were as high as 53 parts of 

pyridine in 1 billion parts of water (53 ppb). 

Pyridine is not usually found in the soil near 

hazardous waste sites or in industrial areas. Pyridine 

has been found in drinking water samples taken 

around hazardous waste sites and industrial areas. 

However, we do not know the levels. It is also 

found in certain foods such as fried chicken, cheese, 

and fried bacon. Although the levels in these foods 

are not known, they are probably very low and are 

not expected to result in any health effects. The 

level of pyridine in some frozen mango (a tropical 

fruit) was reported to be 1 part of pyridine per 

million parts of mango (1 ppm). You could be 

exposed to small amounts of pyridine if you eat 

these foods or drink water containing pyridine. 

1.3 HOW CAN PYRIDINE ENTER AND 

LEAVE MY BODY? 

Pyridine can enter your body when you breathe in 

air, drink water, or eat food that contains this 

chemical, or by skin contact with the chemical. 

When it enters your body by mouth, more than half 

of it is absorbed. Within 1 day, most of what was 

absorbed leaves your body in urine as pyridine itself 

or its breakdown products. We do not know what 

happens to the rest of it. There is also no 

information about what happens to pyridine that is 

breathed in or gets on your skin. 

1.4 HOW CAN PYRIDINE AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

Very few studies have been conducted to determine 

the possible effects of pyridine exposure on human 

health. From case reports on humans and studies in 

animals, we think the most important health concern 

for humans exposed to pyridine will be damage to 

the liver. Other health concerns for humans may be 

neurological effects, renal effects, and irritation of 

the skin and eye. We do not know whether pyridine 

can cause cancer, birth defects, or problems with 

reproduction. 

1.5 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO PYRIDINE? 

Tests can be used to find out whether you have been 

recently exposed to pyridine. These tests measure 

levels of pyridine in urine and blood. They use 

special equipment and are done in special 

laboratories, so they are not usually available in a 

doctor's office. The levels of pyridine in urine or 

blood cannot be used, however, to find out how 

much pyridine you were exposed to or whether 

specific harmful effects will occur. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

PYRIDINE 

CAS#: 110-86-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1992 

1.6 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government has set certain regulations 

and guidelines to help protect people from the 

possible health effects of pyridine in the 

environment. The EPA has not set limits on the 

amount of pyridine that may be present in drinking 

water. The Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) has set an average air 

exposure level of 5 ppm for an 8-hour day, 40-hour 

work week. The National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set 3,600 ppm in air 

as the level that is immediately dangerous to life 

and health (IDLH). The American Conference of 

Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), 

which is a special nongovernment group set up to 

protect workers, also recommends 5 ppm for an 8-

hour day. 

1.7 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological profile for pyridine. 

Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, Public Health Service. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov