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Hydroquinone																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 123–31–9
**NIOSH REL:** 2 mg/m3 15-minute CEILING
**Current OSHA PEL:** 2 mg/m3 TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** Same as current PEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 2 mg/m3 TWA
**Description of Substance:** Light-tan, light-gray, or colorless crystals.
**LEL:**. . Unknown
**Original (SCP) IDLH*:** Unknown [*Note: “Effective” IDLH = 200 mg/m3 — see discussion below.]
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** No acute inhalation toxicity data are available on which to base an IDLH for hydroquinone. For this draft technical standard, therefore, the respirators have been selected on the basis of the assigned protection factor afforded by each device up to 100  ́ the OSHA PEL of 2 mg/m3 (i.e., 200 mg/m3); only the “most highly reliable” respirators are permitted for use in concentrations exceeding 200 mg/m3. This concentration is not likely to be attained in industry.
**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**Mammal MouseRabbitRatG. pigDogCat
    Kazpuchina 1979 Korolev et al. 1973Takahashi 1975Woodward et al. 1949Woodward et al. 1949Woodward et al. 1949Woodward et al. 1949
    oral oraloraloraloraloraloral
    490 24520032055020070
    ----- ------------------------------
    3,430 mg/m31,715 mg/m31,400 mg/m32,240 mg/m33,850 mg/m31,400 mg/m3490 mg/m3
    343 mg/m3172 mg/m3140 mg/m3224 mg/m3385 mg/m3140 mg/m349 mg/m3**Human data:** It has been reported that 5 to 12 grams is the lethal oral dose [Zeidman and Deutel 1945]. [Note: An oral dose of 5 to 12 grams is equivalent to a worker being exposed to 3,333 to 8,000 mg/m3 for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.]
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 50 mg/m3**Basis for revised IDLH:** No inhalation toxicity data are available on which to base an IDLH for hydroquinone. Therefore, the revised IDLH for hydroquinone is 50 mg/m3 based on acute oral toxicity data in humans [Zeidman and Deutel 1945] and animals [Woodward et al. 1949].**REFERENCES:**
1. Kazpuchina EA [1979]. Estimation of the acute limit of the effect of benzene and its metabolites. Toksikol Nov Prom Khim Vesh *15*:136-139 (in Russian).
2. Korolev AA, Abinder AA, et al. [1973]. Hygienic and toxicologic features of products of phenol destruction in ozone treatment of water. Gig Sanit *38*(8):6-10 (in Russian).
3. Takahashi A [1975]. Problems of hygiene maintenance for food coming into contact with rubber and plastics products. Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi *48*(9):537 [Translated by Inglis EA [1976]. Int Polymer Sci Tech *3*(1):T/93-T/105.]
4. Woodward G, Hagan EC, Radomski JL [1949]. Toxicity of hydroquinone for laboratory animals. Fed Proc *8*:348.
5. Zeidman I, Deutel R [1945]. Poisoning by hydroquinone and monomethyl-paraaminophenol sulfate: report of 2 cases with autopsy findings. Am J Med Sci *210*:328-333.

			
							
								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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