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Inhalation Levels for Nickel and Other Solvents to the Standards Board, Part 4
Barbara Kanegsberg
If approved by the Standards Board, the PEL’s for a number of other compounds, notably various forms of Nickel will decrease in California . For specific Nickel Compounds, please see Table 1. For solvents under consideration, please see Table 2.
Table 1. Proposed Cal/OSHA Changes in PEL, Nickel Compounds of Interest, Plating and Coating
|
Chemical |
Proposed Cal/OSHA PEL |
Current Worker Exposure |
Comments |
Industrial Applications |
|
Nickel metal, as Ni |
0.5 mg/m3 |
1 mg/m3 (OSHA, Cal/OSHA); 1.5 mg/m3 inhalable fraction, ACGIH
|
Carcinogenicity concerns; May revisit standard, total Ni and respirable versus total particles |
Coatings, Engineered coatings, Thermal spray |
|
Nickel, insoluble compounds, as Ni |
0.1 mg/m3 |
1mg/m3 (OSHA, Cal/OSHA); 0.2 mg/m3 insoluble inorganic, inhalable fraction, confirmed human carcinogen (ACGIH)
|
Carcinogenicity concerns; May revisit standard, total Ni and respirable versus total particles |
Welding |
|
Nickel Soluble Compounds, as Ni |
0.05 mg/m3 |
1 mg/m3 (OSHA); 0.1 mg/m3 (Cal/OSHA); 0.1 mg/m3 soluble inorganic, inhalable fraction (ACGIH) |
Carcinogenicity concerns; May revisit standard, total Ni and respirable versus total particles |
Electroplating |
|
Nickel Subsulfide |
0.05 mg/m3 |
New mg/m3 inhalable fraction, confirmed human carcinogen (ACGIH) |
Carcinogenicity concerns; May revisit standard, total Ni and respirable versus total particles |
Nickel refineries; Ni Catalysis, petroleum refining |
Table 2 Solvents Scheduled for the Standards Board Evaluation
|
Chemical |
Proposed Cal/OSHA PEL |
Current Worker Exposure |
|
1-bromo-propane, n- propyl bromide |
5 ppm |
25 ppm (EPA recommended) 10 ppm ACGIH (2005) 1 ppm HESIS (2003) |
|
methyl n-butyl ketone |
1ppm; 10 ppm TLV STEL(1) |
5 ppm |
|
methyl vinyl ketone |
0.05 ppm ceiling (2); skin notation |
0.2 ppm ceiling |
|
allyl glycidyl ether |
0.2 ppm; delete STEL |
5ppm 8 hr TWA;10 ppm STEL |
|
glyoxal, 1,2-ethanedione |
0.1 mg/m3 |
“consistent with ACGIH” (3) |
|
p-dioxane |
0.28 ppm; delete “tech grade” |
25 ppm “tech grade”; 20 ppm ACGIH (1999) |
|
Vinyl bromide |
0.1 ppm |
5 ppm current; TLV 0.5 ppm (ACGIH 1999) |
|
Vinyl fluoride |
0.2 ppm |
TLV 1ppm (ACGIH 1999) |
1. STEL = short term exposure limit, typically 15 minutes
2. Ceiling = maximum concentration of an airborne chemical to which an employee can be exposed
3. Includes inhalable fraction and vapor
References
1) Initial Statement of Reasons, ISOR, Attachment 2,
Airborne Contaminants, Section 5155, Public Hearing March 19, 2009
(2) Chemical Sampling Information, Nickel, Metal, and Insoluble Compounds (As Ni); update 8/07/06
http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_256200.html
(3) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GUIDELINE FOR NICKEL, SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS (As Ni) http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/nickelsolublecompounds/recognition.html
