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Phosphorus trichloride																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 7719–12–2
**NIOSH REL:** 0.2 ppm (1.5 mg/m3) TWA, 0.5 ppm (3 mg/m3) STEL
**Current OSHA PEL:** 0.5 ppm (3 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 0.2 ppm (1.5 mg/m3) TWA, 0.5 ppm (3 mg/m3) STEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.2 ppm (1.1 mg/m3) TWA, 0.5 ppm (2.8 mg/m3) STEL
**Description of substance:** Colorless to yellow, fuming liquid with an odor like hydrochloric acid.
**LEL** :. . Noncombustible Liquid
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 50 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by ACGIH [1971] that serious disturbances in animals resulted from exposure to 50 to 90 ppm for 1 hour [Butjagin 1904].
**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 G. pig
    Weeks et al. 1964 Weeks et al. 1964
    104 50
    ----- -----
    4 hr 4 hr
    208 ppm (2.0) 100 ppm (2.0)
    21 ppm 10 ppm**Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50 (mg/kg)**
    **LDLo (mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rat
    Parent 1990
    oral
    18
    -----
    22 ppm
    2.2 ppm**Other animal data:** Cats and guinea pigs exposed for 6 hours at 0.7 ppm showed only mild signs of intoxication and a 1-hour exposure at 2 to 4 ppm failed to produce severe signs of poisoning; however, a single 1-hour exposure at 50 to 90 ppm resulted in serious disturbances [Butjagin 1904].
 **Human data:** Workers exposed to concentrations ranging from 1.8 to 27 ppm had symptoms that included burning of the eyes and throat, irritation of the pharyngeal mucous membranes, and mild bronchitis within 2 to 6 hours after exposure [Sassi 1952].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 25 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for phosphorus trichloride is 25 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Sassi 1952] and animals [Butjagin 1904; Weeks et al. 1964].**REFERENCES:**
1. ACGIH [1971]. Phosphorus trichloride. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 211-212.
2. Butjagin PW [1904]. Experimental studies on the effect of technically and hygienically important gases on the organism. Part XII. Studies on phosphorus trichloride. Arch Hyg *49*:307-335 (in German). [From ACGIH [1971]. Phosphorus trichloride. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 211-212.]
3. Parent RA, ed. [1990]. Acute toxicity data. J Am Coll Toxicol, Part B *1*:71.
4. Sassi C [1952]. Occupational poisoning with phosphorus trichloride. Med Lav *43*:298-306 (in Italian).
5. Weeks MH, Musselman NP, Yevich PP, Jacobson KH, Oberst FW [1964]. Acute vapor toxicity of phosphorus oxychloride phosphorus trichloride and methyl phosphoric dichloride. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *25*:470-475.

			
							
								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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