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Naphthalene																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 91–20–3
**NIOSH REL:** 10 ppm (50 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (75 mg/m3) STEL
**Current OSHA PEL:** 10 ppm (50 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 10 ppm (50 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (75 mg/m3) STEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 10 ppm (52 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (79 mg/m3) STEL
**Description of substance:** Colorless to brown solid with an odor of mothballs.
**LEL:** . . . 0.9% (10% LEL, 900 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 500 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** No useful data on acute inhalation toxicity are available on which to base the IDLH for naphthalene. The chosen IDLH, therefore, has been estimated from the probable oral lethal dose of 5 to 15 grams for an adult [Gerarde 1960 cited by AIHA 1967].
**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**Rat RatG. pigMouse
    Gosselin et al. 1984 Izmerov et al. 1982Matorova 1982Shopp et al. 1984
    oral oraloraloral
    1,800 4901,200533
    ----- ---------------
    2,355 ppm 641 ppm1,570 ppm697 ppm
    236 ppm 64 ppm157 ppm70 ppm**Human data:** The probable oral lethal dose has been reported to be between 5 and 15 grams [Gerarde 1960]. [Note: An oral dose between 5 and 15 grams is equivalent to a worker being exposed to about 600 to 1,800 ppm for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.]
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 250 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** No inhalation toxicity data are available on which to base an IDLH for naphthalene. Therefore, the revised IDLH for naphthalene is 250 ppm based on acute oral toxicity data in humans [Gerarde 1960].**REFERENCES:**
1. AIHA [1967]. Naphthalene. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *28*:493-496.
2. Gerarde HW [1960]. Toxicology and biochemistry of aromatic hydrocarbons. Princeton, NJ: Elsevier Publishing Company, p. 228.
3. Gosselin RE, Smith RP, Hodge HC [1984]. Clinical toxicology of commercial products. 5th ed. Section III. Therapeutics Index. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins Company, pp. 307-310.
4. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 89.
5. Matorova NI [1982]. Data on establishing the maximum permissible concentration of naphthalene and chloronaphthalene in reservoir water. Gig Sanit *11*:78-79 (in Russian).
6. Shopp GM, White KL Jr, Holsapple MP, Barnes DW, Duke SS, Anderson AC, Condie LW, Hayes JR, Borzelleca JF [1984]. Naphthalene toxicity in CD-1 mice: general toxicology and immunotoxicology. Fundam Appl Toxicol *4*:406-419.

			
							
								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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