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Dimethyl sulfate																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 77–78–1
**NIOSH REL:** 0.1 ppm (0.5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]; NIOSH considers dimethyl sulfate to be a potential occupational carcinogen as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy [29 CFR 1990].
**Current OSHA PEL:** 1 ppm (5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 0.1 ppm (0.5 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.1 ppm (0.52 mg/m3) TWA [skin], A2
**Description of Substance:** Colorless, oily liquid with a faint, onion-like odor.
**LEL:**. . Unknown
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 10 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by Patty [1963] that a 20-minute exposure to 13 ppm caused severe symptoms in monkeys and a 20-minute exposure to 75 ppm resulted in the LC50 for guinea pigs [Ghiringhelli et al. 1957; Ghiringhelli and Sironi 1958]. No other useful data are available on which to base the IDLH.
**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 HumanG. pigMouseG. pig
    Batzura et al. 1980 Deichmann and Gerarde 1969Ghiringhelli et al. 1957Gig Tr Prof Zabol 1979Marhold 1986
    8.6 -----755332
    ----- 97---------------
    4 hr 10 min20 min?1 hr
    17 ppm (2.0) 67 ppm (0.69)65 ppm (0.87)?40 ppm (1.25)
    1.7 ppm 6.7 ppm6.5 ppm?4.0 ppm
 **Other human data:** None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 7 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for dimethyl sulfate is 7 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969]. [Note: NIOSH recommends as part of its carcinogen policy that the "most protective" respirators be worn for dimethyl sulfate at concentrations above 0.1 ppm.]
**REFERENCES:**
1. Batzura FD, Kasparov AA, et al. [1980]. Pathogenesis of acute dimethyl sulfate intoxication (experimental study). Gig Tr Prof Zabol *24*(11):55-57 (in Russian).
2. Deichmann WB, Gerarde HW [1969]. Dimethylsulfate (DMS). In: Toxicology of drugs and chemicals. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., p. 226.
3. Ghiringhelli L, Colombo W, Monteverde A [1957]. Observations on the toxicity of dimethylsulphate in animal experiments. Med Lav *48*:634-641 (in Italian).
4. Ghiringhelli L, Sironi G [1958]. Dimethylsulphate and catalysis. Med Lav *49*:690-693 (in Italian).
5. Gig Tr Prof Zabol [1979]; *23*(3):28-32 (in Russian).
6. Marhold J [1986]. Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie, Organicke Latky. Prague, Czechoslovakia: Avicenum, p. 1079 (in Czechoslovakian).
7. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1929.

			
							
								Page last reviewed:  December 4, 2014						Content
							source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH Publications & Products
Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health (IDLH) Values
Table of IDLH Values
Criteria for Determining IDLH Values
Historical Documentation
Original (SCP) Values
Abbreviations for IDLH Documentation
Abbreviations for Journal Titles Follow NIOSH Facebook
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