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Pentachlorophenol																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 87–86–5
**NIOSH REL:** 0.5 mg/m3 TWA [skin]
**Current OSHA PEL:** 0.5 mg/m3 TWA [skin]
**1989 OSHA PEL:** Same as current PEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.5 mg/m3 TWA [skin]
**Description of substance:** Colorless to white, crystalline solid with a benzene-like odor.
**LEL:** . . Noncombustible Solid
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 150 mg/m3
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** No useful data on acute inhalation toxicity are available on which to base the IDLH for pentachlorophenol. AIHA [1970] stated that the atmospheric concentration immediately hazardous to life is not known for humans, but painful irritation to the nose is observed at concentrations below those that would be immediately hazardous to life. The chosen IDLH, therefore, has been estimated from the smallest lethal intravenous dose in rabbits of 22 mg/kg [Kehoe et al. 1939 as cited by ACGIH 1971]. According to AIHA [1970], the cause of death from an acute overdose is hyperexia and cardiac failure [Patty 1963].
**Short-term exposure guidelines:** None developed
**ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:**
**Lethal concentration data:**

**Species**
    **Reference**
    **LC50**
    **LCLo**
    **Time**
    **Adjusted 0.5-hr** **LC (CF)**
    **Derived value**Rat
    Demidenko 1969
    355 mg/m3
    -----
    ?
    ?
    ?Mouse
    Demidenko 1969
    225 mg/m3
    -----
    ?
    ?
    ?**Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Mouse HamsterRatRabbitRat
    Borzelleca et al. 1985 Cabral et al. 1979Deichmann et al. 1942Deichmann et al. 1942Fielder et al. 1982
    oral oraloraloraloral
    117 16827-----150
    ----- ----------70-----
    819 mg/m31,176 mg/m3189 mg/m3490 mg/m31,050 mg/m3
    82 mg/m3118 mg/m319 mg/m349 mg/m3105 mg/m3**Human data:** Dusts are particularly irritating to the eyes and nose at concentrations greater than 1 mg/m3 but concentrations up to 2.4 mg/m3 have been tolerated by workers that have been conditioned [Clayton and Clayton 1981]. It has been reported that 401 mg/kg is the minimum lethal oral dose [Haley 1977]. [Note: An oral dose of 401 mg/kg is equivalent to a worker being exposed to about 19,000 mg/m3 for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.]
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 2.5 mg/m3**Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for pentachlorophenol is 2.5 mg/m3 based on acute toxicity data in humans [Clayton and Clayton 1981]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data for workers exposed to concentrations above 2.4 mg/m3.**REFERENCES:**
1. ACGIH [1971]. Pentachlorophenol. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 198-199.
2. AIHA [1970]. Pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate. In: Hygienic Guide Series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *31*:521-524.
3. Borzelleca JF, Hayes JR, Condie LW, Egle JL Jr [1985]. Acute toxicity of monochlorophenols, dichlorophenols, and pentachlorophenols in the mouse. Toxicol Lett *29*:39-42.
4. Cabral JRP, Raitano F, Mollner T, Bronczyk S, Shubik P [1979]. Acute toxicity of pesticides in hamsters. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol *48*:A192 [Abstract].
5. Clayton GD, Clayton FE, eds. [1981]. Patty’s industrial hygiene and toxicology. 3rd rev. ed. Vol. 2A. Toxicology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 2604-2612.
6. Deichmann W, Machle W, Kitzmiller KV, Thomas G [1942]. Acute and chronic effects of pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate upon experimental animals. J Pharmacol Exp Ther *76*:104-117.
7. Demidenko NM [1969]. Data on the substantiation of the maximum permissible concentration of pentachlorophenol in air. Gig Tr Prof Zabol *13*(9):58-60 (in Russian).
8. Fielder RJ, Sorrie GS, Bishop CM, Jones RB, Van Den Heuval MJ [1982]. Pentachlorophenol toxicity review 5. London, England: Health and Safety Executive, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
9. Haley TJ [1977]. Human poisoning with pentachlorophenol and its treatment. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety *1*:343-347.
10. Kehoe RA, Deichmann-Gruebler W, Kitzmiller KV [1939]. Toxic effect upon rabbits of pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate. J Ind Hyg Toxicol *21*(5):160-172.
11. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1400.

			
							
								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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