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Mercury (organo) alkyl compounds (as Hg)																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** Varies
**NIOSH REL:** 0.01 mg/m3 TWA, 0.03 mg/m3 STEL [skin]
**Current OSHA PEL:** 0.01 mg/m3 TWA, 0.04 mg/m3 CEILING
**1989 OSHA PEL:** 0.01 mg/m3 TWA, 0.03 mg/m3 STEL [skin]
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 0.01 mg/m3 TWA, 0.03 mg/m3 STEL [skin]
**Description of substance:** Varies
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 10 mg Hg/m3
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by ACGIH [1971] that mice died within 3 to 5 hours at 10 to 30 mg/m3 organic mercury [Trakhtenberg 1950]. The chosen IDLH seems reasonable because NIOSH [1976] cited a mouse intraperitoneal LDLO for dipropylmercury of 2 mg/kg [NRC 1952]. If the IDLH were estimated from this information, a value of 14 mg/m3 would be obtained.
**Short-term exposure guidelines:** None developed
**ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:**
**Lethal concentration data:**

**Species**
    **Reference**
    **LC50**
    **LCLo**
    **Time**
    **Adjusted 0.5-hr** **LC (CF)**
    **Derived value**HgC4H10Rat
    Russkykh &Frolova 1973
    258 mg/m3
    -----
    ?
    ?
    ?HgC4H10Mouse
    Russkykh &Frolova 1973
    91 mg/m3
    -----
    ?
    ?
    ?Hg (organo) alkyl Mouse
    Trakhtenberg 1950
    -----
    10-30 mg/m3
    3 hr
    18-54 mg Hg/m3 (1.8)
    1.8-5.4 mg Hg/m3Hg (organo) alkyl Mouse
    Trakhtenberg 1950
    -----
    10-30 mg/m3
    5 hr
    22-26 mg Hg/m3 (2.2)
    2.2-2.6 mg Hg/m3**Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**HgC4H10Rat
    Izmerov et al. 1982
    oral
    51
    -----
    278 mg Hg/m3
    28 mg Hg/m3HgC4H10Mouse
    Izmerov et al. 1982
    oral
    44
    -----
    240 mg Hg/m3
    24 mg Hg/m3HgC4H6O4Rat
    Grin et al. 1973
    oral
    40.9
    -----
    180 mg Hg/m3
    18 mg Hg/m3HgC4H6O4Mouse
    Grin et al. Grin et al. 1973
    oral
    23.9
    -----
    105 mg Hg/m3
    11 mg Hg/m3HgC6H12O6Rat
    Frear 1969
    oral
    200
    -----
    742 mg Hg/m3
    74 mg Hg/m3HgC6H14Mouse
    NRC 1952
    i.p.
    -----
    1.9
    9.3 mg Hg/m3
    0.9 mg Hg/m3**Human data:** Deaths have resulted from 3 months exposure to diethyl mercury at an estimated concentration of 1 mg/m3 [Hill 1943]. The lethal dose of methyl mercury is estimated to be 200 mg, with paresthesia of the hands, feet, and mouth occurring at a total body burden of 40 mg [Bakir et al. 1973]. [Note: An oral dose of 200 mg of methyl mercury is equivalent to a worker being exposed to about 125 mg Hg/m3 for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.]
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 2 mg Hg/m3**Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for mercury (organo) alkyl compounds is 2 mg Hg/m3 based on acute toxicity data in humans [Bakir et al. 1973; Hill 1943] and animals [Trakhtenberg 1950].**REFERENCES:**
1. ACGIH [1971]. Mercury (alkyl compounds). In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 151-152.
2. Bakir F, Damluji SF, Amin-Zaki L, Murtadha M, Khalidi A, Al-Rawi NY, Tikriti S, Dhahir HI, Clarkson TW, Smith JC, Doherty RA [1973]. Methyl mercury poisoning in Iraq. Science *181*:230-241.
3. Frear EH, ed. [1969]. Pesticide index. 4th ed. State College, PA: College Science Publishers, p. 269.
4. Grin NV, Ezmachenko AB, Govozunova NN, Tepukina LA [1973]. Prognosis of the safe concentrations of some soluble compounds of mercury. Gig Sanit *46*(8):12-14 (in Russian).
5. Hill WH [1943]. A report of two deaths from exposure to the fumes of a di-ethyl mercury. Can J Public Health *34*:158-160.
6. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 52.
7. NIOSH [1976]. OW3225000. Mercury, dipropyl-. In: Registry of toxic effects of chemical substances, 1976 ed. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 76-191, p. 683.
8. NRC [1952]. Summary tables of biological tests. Washington, DC: National Research Council, Biological Coordination Center, National Academy of Science Library, p. 320.
9. Russkykh VA, Frolova EN [1973]. Materials on substantiation of the maximal permissible concentration of diethylmercury in the air of the working zone. Gig Sanit *38*(1):100-102 (in Russian).
10. Trakhtenberg IM [1950]. The toxicity of vapors of organic mercury compounds (ethylmercuric phosphate and ethylmercuric chloride) in acute and chronic intoxication (experimental data). Gig Sanit *6*:13-17 (translated).

			
							
								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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