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n-Butyl alcohol																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 71–36–3
**NIOSH REL:** 50 ppm (150 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]
**Current OSHA PEL:** 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 50 ppm (150 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 50 ppm (152 mg/m3) CEILING [skin]
**Description of Substance:** Colorless liquid with a strong, characteristic, mildly alcoholic odor.
**LEL:** . . 1.4% (10% LEL, 1,400 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 8,000 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is conservative, but the only data available on which to base the IDLH is the statement by Patty [1963] that Smyth [1956] found rats survived when exposed for 4 hours to 8,000 ppm. The IDLH for isobutyl alcohol is also 8,000 ppm.
**Short-term exposure guidelines:** None developed
**ACUTE TOXICITY DATA**
**Lethal concentration data:**

**Species**
    **Reference**
    **LC5o** **(ppm)**
    **LCLo** **(ppm)**
    **Time**
    **Adjusted 0.5-hr** **LC (CF)**
    **Derived** **Value**Mammal Rat
    Esin and Vigdergauz 1986 NPIRI 1974
    9,221 8,000
    ----- -----
    ? 4 hr
    ? 16,000 ppm (2.0)
    ? 1,600 ppm
 **Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rabbit RatDog
    Munch 1972 Purchase 1969Wurtz 1975
    oral oraloral
    ----- ----------
    3,484 7901,700
    7,918 ppm 1,795 ppm4,000 ppm
    792 ppm 180 ppm400 ppm**Other animal data:** RD50 (mouse), 4,784 ppm [Alarie 1981].
 **Human data:** It has been reported that corneal irritation was occasionally observed in workers exposed to 200 ppm [Sterner et al. 1949].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 1,400 ppm [LEL] **Basis for revised IDLH:** Based on health considerations and acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [NPIRI 1974], a value of about 1,600 ppm would have been appropriate for n-butyl alcohol. However, the revised IDLH for n-butyl alcohol is 1,400 ppm based strictly on safety considerations (i.e., being 10% if the lower explosive limit of 1.4%).
**REFERENCES:**
1. Alarie Y [1981]. Dose-response analysis in animal studies: prediction of human responses. Environ Health Perspect *42*:9-13.
2. Esin MS, Vigdergauz MS [1986]. Correlation between toxicity indexes and chromatographic characteristics of chemical substances. Gig Sanit *51*(5):61-62 (in Russian).
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. 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. 10.
5. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1443.
6. Purchase IFH [1969]. Studies in kaffircorn malting and brewing. XXII. The acute toxicity of some fusel oils found in Bantu beer. S Afr Med J *43*:795-798.
7. Smyth HF Jr [1956]. Improved communication: hygienic standards for daily inhalation. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q *17*(2):129-185.
8. Sterner JH, Crouch HC, Brockmyre HF, Cusack M [1949]. A ten-year study of butyl alcohol exposure. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q *10*:53-59.
9. Wurtz M [1975]. Sur les proprietes toxiques des alcools par fermentation. Comp Rend Hebdom *81*:192-194 (in French).

			
							
								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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