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Ethyl mercaptan																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 75–08–1
**NIOSH REL:** 0.5 ppm (1.3 mg/m3) 15-minute CEILING
**Current OSHA PEL:** 10 ppm (25 mg/m3) CEILING
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 0.5 ppm (1 mg/m3) TWA
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.5 ppm (1.3 mg/m3) TWA
**Description of Substance:** Colorless liquid with a strong, skunk-like odor.
**LEL:**. . 2.8% (10% LEL, 2,800 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 2,500 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the mouse 4-hour LC50 of 2,770 ppm [Fairchild and Stokinger 1958 cited by ACGIH 1971].
**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 Mouse
    Fairchild and Stokinger 1958 Fairchild and Stokinger 1958
    4,420 2,770
    ----- -----
    4 hr 4 hr
    8,840 ppm (2.0) 5,540 ppm (2.0)
    884 ppm 554 ppm
 **Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived** **value**Rat
    Fairchild and Stokinger 1958
    oral
    682
    -----
    1,849 ppm
    185 ppm
 **Human data:** None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 500 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for ethyl mercaptan is 500 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Fairchild and Stokinger 1958]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data for workers.
**REFERENCES:**
1. ACGIH [1971]. Ethyl mercaptan (ethanethiol). In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, p. 107.
2. Fairchild EJ II, Stokinger HE [1958]. Toxicologic studies on organic sulfur compounds. I. Acute toxicity of some aliphatic and aromatic thiols (mercaptans). Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *19*:171-189.

			
							
								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
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