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Furfural																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 98–01–1
**NIOSH REL:** The 1989 OSHA PEL may not be protective to workers.
**Current OSHA PEL:** 5 ppm (20 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 2 ppm (8 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 2 ppm (7.9 mg/m3) TWA [skin]
**Description of Substance:** Colorless to amber liquid with an almond-like odor.
**LEL:** . . 2.1% (10% LEL, 2,100 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 250 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the statement that 260 ppm was the lethal concentration for rats, but caused no deaths in mice or rabbits [Quaker Oats cited by AIHA 1965].
**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**Dog MouseRatRatRat
    Deichmann and Gerarde 1969 Deichmann and Gerarde 1969Quaker OatsTerrill et al. 1989Terrill et al. 1989
    370 ----------1751,037
    ----- 370260----------
    6 hr 6 hr?6 hr1 hr
    851 ppm (2.3) 851 ppm (2.3)?403 ppm (2.3)1,296 ppm (1.25)
    85 ppm 85 ppm?40 ppm130 ppm
 **Other animal data:** It has been stated that 260 ppm (duration of exposure undefined) caused no deaths in mice or rabbits [Quaker].
 **Human data:** Widespread eye and respiratory tract irritation has been noted in workers exposed to concentrations ranging from 5 to 16 ppm [Apol and Lucas 1975]. Headaches, itching of the throat, and red and weeping eyes have occurred at concentrations ranging from 1.9 to 14 ppm [Korenman and Resnik 1930].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 100 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for furfural is 100 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Apol and Lucas 1975; Korenman and Resnik 1930] and animals [Deichmann and Gerarde 1969; Terrill et al. 1989]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data for workers exposed to concentrations above 16 ppm.
**REFERENCES:**
1. AIHA [1965]. Furfural. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *26*:196-199.
2. Apol AG, Lucas JB [1975]. Health hazard evaluation, Pacific Grinding Wheel Co., Maysville, WA. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH Report No. HHE 73-18-171, NTIS No. 246-444.
3. Deichmann WB, Gerarde HW [1969]. Furfural (2-furaldehyde; pyromucic aldehyde; artificial oil of ants). In: Toxicology of drugs and chemicals. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., pp. 279-280.
4. Korenman IM, Resnik IB [1930]. Furfural as an industrial poison and its determination in the air. Arch Hyg *104*:344-357 (in German). [From ACGIH [1991]. Furfural. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 694-695.]
5. Quaker Oats [?]. Physiological data on QO furfural. Chicago, IL: Quaker Oats Company, Chemicals Division. [From AIHA [1965]. Furfural. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *26*:196-199.]
6. Terrill JB, Van Horn WE, Robinson D, Thomas DL [1989]. Acute inhalation toxicity of furan, 2-methyl furan, furfuryl alcohol, and furfural in the rat. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J *50*:A359-A361.

			
							
								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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