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Tetrahydrofuran																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 109–99–9
**NIOSH REL:** 200 ppm (590 mg/m3) TWA, 250 ppm (735 mg/m3) STEL
**Current OSHA PEL:** 200 ppm (590 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 200 ppm (590 mg/m3) TWA, 250 ppm (735 mg/m3) STEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 200 ppm (590 mg/m3) TWA, 250 ppm (737 mg/m3) STEL
**Description of substance:** Colorless liquid with an ether-like odor.
**LEL:** . . . 2% (10% LEL, 2,000 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 20,000 ppm [LEL]
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** AIHA [1959] reported that exposure to 25,000 ppm will cause anesthesia and that 17,000 ppm appears to be safe for 3 hours [Hofmann and Oettel 1954]. Therefore, 20,000 ppm has been chosen as the IDLH because it is the lower explosive limit (LEL) of tetrahydrofuran.
**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
    Horiguchi et al. 1984
    21,000
    -----
    3 hr
    37,800 ppm (1.8)
    3,780 ppm**Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rat MouseG. pig
    GAF 1991 Pozdnyakov 1967Pozdnyakov 1967
    oral oraloral
    1,650 2,3002,300
    ----- ----------
    3,850 ppm 5,367 ppm5,367 ppm
    385 ppm 537 ppm537 ppm**Human data:** It has been reported that exposure to 25,000 ppm will cause anesthesia and 17,000 ppm appears to be safe for 3 hours [Hofmann and Oettel 1954].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 2,000 ppm [LEL] **Basis for revised IDLH:** Based on health considerations and acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Hofmann and Oettel 1954], a value of at least 17,000 ppm would have been appropriate for tetrahydrofuran. However, the revised IDLH is 2,000 ppm based strictly on safety considerations (i.e., being 10% of the lower explosive limit of 2%).**REFERENCES:**
1. AIHA [1959]. Tetrahydrofuran. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *20*:250-251.
2. GAF [1991]. Material safety data sheet: Agrisynth THF. Wayne, NJ: GAF Chemicals Corporation, pp. 1-3.
3. Hofmann G, Oettel H [1954]. Zur frage der toxizitat von tetrahydrofuran. Arch Exp Pathol Pharmakol *222*:233-235 (in German).
4. Horiguchi S, Teramoto K, Katahira T [1984]. Acute and repeated inhalation toxicity of tetrahydrofuran in laboratory animals. Sumitomo Sangyo Eisei (Sumitomo Industrial Health) *20*:141-157.
5. Pozdnyakov AG [1967]. Materials on hygienic reglamentation of tetrahydrofuryl (THF) alcohol in water bodies. Gig Sanit *32*(2):99-101 (in Russian).

			
							
								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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