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Ethyl formate																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 109–94–4
**NIOSH REL:** 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) TWA
**Current OSHA PEL:** 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** Same as current PEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 100 ppm (303 mg/m3) TWA
**Description of Substance:** Colorless liquid with a fruity odor.
**LEL:**. . 2.8% (10% LEL, 2,800 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 8,000 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the statements by Smyth [1956] cited in Patty [1963] and by UCC [1968] that 5 of 6 rats died following a 4-hour exposure to 8,000 ppm and no rats died from a 4-hour exposure to 4,000 ppm.
**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**Cat RatRat
    Flury and Zernik 1931 Smyth 1956Smyth et al. 1954
    ----- LC83: 8,000-----
    10,000 -----8,000
    1.5 hr 4 hr4 hr
    14,500 ppm (1.45) 16,000 ppm (2.0)16,000 ppm (2.0)
    1,450 ppm 1,600 ppm1,600 ppm
 **Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rat G. pigRabbit
    Jenner et al. 1964 Jenner et al. 1964Munch 1972
    oral oraloral
    1,850 1,1102,075
    ----- ----------
    4,205 ppm 2,523 ppm4,716 ppm
    421 ppm 252 ppm472 ppm
 **Other animal data:** It has been stated that rats have survived a 4-hour exposure to 4,000 ppm [UCC 1968].
 **Human data:** It has been reported that 330 ppm produced slight eye irritation and rapidly increasing nasal irritation [Flury and Zernik 1931].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 1,500 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for ethyl formate is 1,500 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Flury and Zernik 1931; Smyth 1956; Smyth et al. 1954]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data for workers at concentrations above 330 ppm.
**REFERENCES:**
1. Flury F, Zernik F [1931]. Schädliche gase dämpfe, nebel, rauch- und staubarten. Berlin, Germany: Verlag von Julius Springer, p. 375 (in German).
2. Jenner PM, Hagan EC, Taylor JM, Cook EL, Fitzhugh OG [1964]. Food flavourings and compounds of related structure. I. Acute oral toxicity. Food Cosmet Toxicol *2*:327-343.
3. Munch JC [1972]. Aliphatic alcohols and alkyl esters: narcotic and lethal potencies to tadpoles and to rabbits. Ind Med Surg *41*:31-33.
4. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1855.
5. Smyth HF Jr [1956]. Improved communication: hygienic standards for daily inhalation. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q *17*(2):129-185.
6. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CS, Pozzani UC [1954]. Range-finding toxicity data: list V. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med *10*:61-68.
7. UCC [1968]. Toxicology studies: ethyl formate. New York, NY: Union Carbide Corporation.

			
							
								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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