In occupational settings, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a legal toluene exposure limit for workers of 200 parts per million (ppm) averaged over an 8-hour workday. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a recommended limit of 100 ppm for toluene in air averaged over a 10-hour workday, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends that toluene in workplace air not exceed 20 ppm over an 8-hour day.
EPA closely monitors and sets limits on toluene emitted from industrial sources; this includes the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur. The EPA has recommended a drinking water guideline value of 1 mg/L for toluene to protect public health.