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Carbon tetrachloride																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 56–23–5
**NIOSH REL:** 2 ppm (12.6 mg/m3) 60-minute STEL; NIOSH considers carbon tetrachloride to be a potential occupational carcinogen as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy [29 CFR 1990].
**Current OSHA PEL:** 10 ppm TWA, 25 ppm CEILING,
200 ppm 5-min MAXIMUM PEAK in any 4 hours
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 2 ppm (12.6 mg/m3) TWA
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 5 ppm (31 mg/m3) TWA, 10 ppm (63 mg/m3) STEL [skin], A3
**Description of Substance:** Colorless liquid with a characteristic ether-like odor.
**LEL:** . . Noncombustible Liquid
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 300 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** ACGIH [1971] reported that a severe case of human poisoning has been observed after a 3-hour exposure to concentrations ranging from 75 to 600 ppm and averaging about 210 ppm [Barnes and Jones 1967]. AIHA [1961] reported that exposures for 0.5 to 1 hour to 1,000 to 2,000 ppm have caused human fatalities from acute kidney damage [Fassett]. Kirk-Othmer [1964] reported that a 30-minute exposure to about 300 ppm causes symptoms of intoxication. Based on these data, an IDLH of 300 ppm is chosen.
**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**Human G. pigCatMammalRatMouseHumanDog
    AAPCO 1966 Clayton 1967Flury and Zernik 1935Gig Tr Prof Zabol 1980NPIRI 1974Svirbely et al. 1947Tab Biol Per 1933von Oettingen 1949
    ----- ----------5,4008,0009,526----------
    1,000 20,00038,110---------------50,00014,620
    ? 2 hr2 hr?4 hr8 hr5 min8 hr
    ? 32,807 ppm (1.64)62,500 ppm (1.64)?16,800 ppm (2.10)25,625 ppm (2.69)26,374 ppm (0.53)39,328 ppm (2.69)
    ? 3,281 ppm6,250 ppm?1,680 ppm2,563 ppm2,637 ppm3,933 ppm
 *Note: Conversion factor (CF) was determined with "n" = 2.8 [ten Berge et al. 1986].
 **Other human data:** A severe case of poisoning was observed after a 3-hour exposure to concentrations ranging from 75 to 600 ppm and averaging about 210 ppm [Barnes and Jones 1967]. It has been reported that exposures to 1,000 to 2,000 ppm for 0.5 to 1 hour have caused human fatalities from acute kidney damage [AIHA 1961]. It has also been reported that a 30-minute exposure to about 300 ppm causes symptoms of intoxication [Kirk-Othmer 1964].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 200 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for carbon tetrachloride is 200 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [AIHA 1961; Barnes and Jones 1967; Kirk-Othmer 1964]. [Note: NIOSH recommends as part of its carcinogen policy that the "most protective" respirators be worn for carbon tetrachloride at concentrations above 2 ppm.]
**REFERENCES:**
1. AAPCO [1966]. Pesticide chemicals official compendium. Topeka, KS: Association of American Pesticide Control Officials, Inc., p. 198.
2. ACGIH [1971]. Carbon tetrachloride. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 43-44.
3. AIHA [1961]. Carbon tetrachloride (revised 1961). In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *22*:507-509.
4. Barnes R, Jones RC [1967]. Carbon tetrachloride poisoning. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *29*:557-560.
5. Clayton JW Jr [1967]. Fluorocarbon toxicity and biological action. Fluor Chem Rev *1*(2):197-252.
6. Fassett DW [?]. Personal communication to AIHA from the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY. [From: AIHA [1961]. Carbon tetrachloride (revised 1961). In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *22*:507-509.]
7. 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).
8. Gig Tr Prof Zabol [1980]; *24*(3):17-20 (in Russian).
9. Kirk-Othmer [1964]. Carbon tetrachloride. In: Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. *5*:128-139.
10. NPIRI [1974]. Raw materials data handbook, physical and chemical properties, fire hazard and health hazard data. Vol. 1. Organic solvents. Bethlehem, PA: National Printing Ink Research Institute, p. 16.
11. Svirbely JL, Highman B, Alford WC, von Oettingen WF [1947]. The toxicity and narcotic action of mono-chloro-mono-bromo-methane with special reference to inorganic and volatile bromide in blood, urine and brain. J Ind Hyg Toxicol *29*:382-389.
12. Tab Biol Per [1933]; *3*:231 (in German).
13. ten Berge WF, Zwart A, Appelman LM [1986]. Concentration-time mortality response relationship of irritant and systematically acting vapours and gases. J Haz Mat *13*:301-309.
14. von Oettingen WF [1949]. Studies on the relationship between the toxic action of chlorinated methanes and their chemical and physicohemical properties. NIH Bulletin *191*:1-85.

			
							
								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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