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Strychnine																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 57–24–9
**NIOSH REL:** 0.15 mg/m3 TWA
**Current OSHA PEL:** 0.15 mg/m3 TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** Same as current PEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.15 mg/m3 TWA
**Description of substance:** Colorless to white, odorless, crystalline solid.
**LEL** :. . . Unknown
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 3 mg/m3
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** No data on acute inhalation toxicity are available on which to base the IDLH for strychnine. The chosen IDLH, therefore, has been estimated from the statement by Gleason et al. [1969] that 30 mg by the oral route is usually a threat to an adult’s life [Witthaus 1911].
**Short-term exposure guidelines:** None developed
**ACUTE TOXICITY DATA**:
**Lethal dose data:**

**Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rabbit DogCatMouseRatRat
    Flury and Zernik 1935 Moraillon & Pinault 1978Moraillon & Pinault 1978Prasad et al. 1981Spector 1956Ward & Crabtree 1942
    oral oraloraloraloraloral
    ----- 0.50.52162.35
    0.6 -------------------------
    4.2 mg/m33.5 mg/m33.5 mg/m314 mg/m3112 mg/m317 mg/m3
    0.4 mg/m30.4 mg/m30.4 mg/m31.4 mg/m311 mg/m31.7 mg/m3**Human data:** It has been reported that the probable lethal oral dose is 1.5 to 2 mg/kg [Gosselin et al. 1984]. [Note: An oral dose of 1.5 to 2 mg/kg is equivalent to a 70-kg worker being exposed to 70 to 93 mg/m3 for 30 minutes assuming a 50 liter per minute breathing rate and 100% absorption.]
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 3 mg/m3 [Unchanged] **Basis for revised IDLH:** No inhalation toxicity data are available on which to base an IDLH for strychnine. However, based on acute oral toxicity data in humans [Gosselin et al. 1984], the original IDLH for strychnine (3 mg/m3) is not being revised at this time.**REFERENCES:**
1. Flury F, Zernik F [1935]. Zusammenstellung der toxischen und letalen dosen für die gebräuchlichsten gifte und versuchstiere. Abder Hand Biol Arbeitsmethod *4*:1289-1422 (in German).
2. Gleason MN, Gosselin RE, Hodge HC, Smith RP [1969]. Clinical toxicology of commercial products. 3rd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins Company, pp. 214-217.
3. Gosselin RE, Smith RP, Hodge HC [1984]. Clinical toxicology of commercial products. 5th ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins Company, pp. III-375 to III-376.
4. Moraillon R, Pinault L [1978]. Diagnostic et traitement d’intoxications courantes des carnivores. Rec Med Vet *154*(2):137-150 (in French).
5. Prasad CR, Patnaik GK, Gupta RC, Anand N, Dhawan BN [1981]. Central nervous system stimulant activity of N-_3-chromene-3-carbonyl)-4 iminopyridine (compound 69/224). Indian J Exp Biol *19*:1075-1076.
6. Spector WS [1956]. Handbook to toxicology. Vol. 1. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company, p. 286.
7. Ward JC, Crabtree DG [1942]. Strychnine X. Comparative accuracies of stomach tube and intraperitoneal injection methods of bioassay. J Am Pharm Assoc, Scientific Edition *31*:113-115.
8. Witthaus RA [1911]. Manual of toxicology. 2nd ed. New York, NY: William Wood and Company, p. 1029.

			
							
								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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