Vaporization adverse effects

Because naphthalene vapors can cause eye irritation at concentrations of 15 ppm in air and because continued exposure may result in adverse effects to the eye, a threshold limit value of 10 ppm (50 mg/m ) has been set by the ACGIH (45). This amount is about 30% of the air-saturation value at 27°C. 

Vapor Toxicity. Laboratory exposure data indicate that vapor inhalation of alkan olamines presents low hazards at ordinary temperatures (generally, alkan olamines have low vapor pressures). Heated material may cause generation of sufficient vapors to cause adverse effects, including eye and nose irritation. If inhalation exposure is likely, approved respirators are suggested. Monoethan olamine and diethanolamine have OSHA TLVs of 3 ppm. 

Overexposure to tetrachloroethylene by inhalation affects the central nervous system and the Hver. Dizziness, headache, confusion, nausea, and eye and mucous tissue irritation occur during prolonged exposure to vapor concentrations of 200 ppm (15). These effects are intensified and include incoordination and dmnkenness at concentrations in excess of 600 ppm. At concentrations in excess of 1000 ppm the anesthetic and respiratory depression effects can cause unconsciousness and death. A single, brief exposure to concentrations above 6000 ppm can be immediately dangerous to life. Reversible changes to the Hver have been reported foUowing prolonged exposures to concentrations in excess of 200 ppm (16—22). Alcohol consumed before or after exposure may increase adverse effects. 

In view of the above adverse effects a safety factor should be applied where flammability is assessed using flash point. For pure liquids in containers the vapor should be considered potentially flammable if the liquid temperature is upward of at least 5°C below the reported flash point. For mixtures whose composition is less certain, such as petroleum mixtures, the safety factor should be about 15°C relative to the flash point [55]. Where combinations of adverse effects are identified the safety factors should be increased accordingly. A simple but very conservative approach is to assume that all liquids having a flash point <141°F may produce a flammable atmosphere under some ambient conditions, even where no mist or froth production is involved. A more practical approach is to assume that liquids handled in air at least 5-15°C below their closed cup flash points will not present ignition risks unless... 

Toxicity. Breathing moderate amounts of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) for short periods of time can cause adverse effects on the nervous system ranging from headaches, dizziness, nausea, and numbness in the fingers and toes to unconsciousness. Its vapors are irritating to the skin, eyes, nose, and throat and can damage the eyes. Repeated exposure to moderate to high amounts may cause liver and kidney effects. 

Air contaminants Aerosols, gases, vapors or dusts which may cause adverse effects if discharged into the indoor or outdoor atmosphere. 

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are substances that may cause immediate or long-term adverse effects on human health. HAPs can be gases, particulates, trace metals such as mercui y, and vapors such as benzene. For coal-fired power plants, the HAPs of most concern are metals such as mercury, arsenic, and vanadium. 

Dermal Effects. Humans that were experimentally exposed to 200 ppm of trichloroethylene vapor for 7 hours experienced dry throats (40% of the subjects), begiiming after 30 minutes (Stewart et al. 1970). The subjects experiencing these symptoms did not experience them when exposed in the same manner on 5 other consecutive days. These effects are presumed to be due to direct contact with the vapor. Skin irritation and rashes have resulted from occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (Bauer and Rabens 1974 El Ghawabi et al. 1973). The dermal effects are usually the consequence of direct skin contact with concentrated solutions, but occupational exposure also involves vapor contact. Adverse effects have not been reported from exposure to dilute aqueous solutions. 

The environmental problem of sulfur dioxide emission, as has been pointed out, is very much associated with sulfidic sources of metals, among which a peer example is copper production. In this context, it would be beneficial to describe the past and present approaches to copper smelting. In the past, copper metallurgy was dominated by reverberatory furnaces for smelting sulfidic copper concentrate to matte, followed by the use of Pierce-Smith converters to convert the matte into blister copper. The sulfur dioxide stream from the reverberatory furnaces is continuous but not rich in sulfur dioxide (about 1%) because it contains carbon dioxide and water vapor (products of fuel combustion), nitrogen from the air (used in the combustion of that fuel), and excess air. The gas is quite dilute and unworthy of economical conversion of its sulfur content into sulfuric acid. In the past, the course chosen was to construct stacks to disperse the gas into the atmosphere in order to minimize its adverse effects on the immediate surroundings. However, this is not an en-... 

There may be problems from other adsorbing species in the house. Carbon-dioxide and water vapor have been found to have an adverse effect on the adsorption coefficient (Strong and Levins, 1978 Siegwarth et al., 1972). The likeliest place for indoor radon to accumulate in houses is in the basement or crawl space where a large surface area is in direct contact with the soil, and thus the most likely place to put an adsorption system is in these locations. However, these areas are also commonly used to store various household chemicals such as painting supplies, etc. These household items stored in basements can release contaminants that may be classified into 4 broad categories aromatics, paraffins,... 

Data Adequacy The key study was well designed, conducted, and documented. Values were presented graphically. Supporting data were sparse, probably because aniline is not a vapor at room temperature, and poisonings have involved contact with the liquid. Although human data are sparse, it is believed that a total uncertainty factor of 100 is protective of human health. Because aniline is absorbed through the skin, which increases the systemic toxicity, direct skin contact with the liquid would be additive and result in onset of adverse effects at airborne concentrations below the respective AEGL values. Therefore, direct skin contact with the liquid should be avoided. 

Despite the high lethality of large single doses or acute respiratory exposures to high vapor concentrations of cyanide, repeated sublethal doses seldom result in cumulative adverse effects. 

Neurotoxicity. No information is available on neurotoxic effects of hexachloroethane in humans following any route of exposure. Acute inhalation exposure in rats caused staggering gait after exposure to high concentrations (5,900 ppm) (Weeks et al. 1979). The usefulness of this data is limited since this concentration was lethal. Tremors have been reported at 260 ppm but not 48 ppm following inhalation exposure of rats in a developmental study and in a study of 6-weeks duration (Weeks et al. 1979). The lack of tremors at 48 ppm in the developmental study serves as the basis for the acute inhalation MRL, and the lack of tremors at 48 ppm in the 6-week study serves as the basis for the intermediate inhalation MRL. One study that evaluated spontaneous motor activity and avoidance behavior in rats during 6 weeks of exposure to 260 ppm hexachloroethane vapors did not reveal adverse effects of hexachloroethane on these neurobehavioral functions (Weeks et al. 1979). 

Utilized an aerosol for exposure, and it should be noted that the toxicity from an aerosol will typically vary from that of a vapor (the probable form of exposure). The available epidemiological studies are generally inconclusive, since they cannot exclusively associate exposures to fuel oils with the adverse effects reported. 

Musculoskeletal Effects. No studies were located regarding musculoskeletal effects in humans after inhalation, oral, or dermal exposure to fuel oils. No histopathological changes were noted in the musculoskeletal systems of rats and dogs exposed by inhalation to up to 100 mg/m deodorized kerosene vapor for 13 weeks (Carpenter et al. 1976). Mice treated dermally with marine diesel fuel and JP-5 (up to 500 mg/kg/day) also displayed no detectable adverse effects to the musculoskeletal system (NTP/NIH 1986). The limited information available on animals is not sufficient to assess its relevance to human health. 

The chemical composition of vapors and fumes from asphalt products is variable and depends on the crude petroleum source, type of asphalt, temperature, and extent of mixing. Therefore, the adverse effects from asphalt may also vary considerably depending on the source of exposure. 

Exposure to benzene vapor produces feto-toxicity, such as growth retardation, in mice and rats at doses that are maternally toxic. In general, benzene does not appear to adversely effect reproductive competence. ... 

Acute exposure of experimental animals resulted in adverse effects similar to those described for humans. Rats did not survive when exposed to the vapor for longer than 6 minutes at 3 000 ppm minimum lethal concentration for an 8-hour exposure was 200ppm these exposures caused hepatic necrosis, pulmonary edema, and cloudy swelling of renal tubules. Depression of the central nervous system (CNS) was observed in rats exposed at higher concentrations, and deaths occurred within 24 hours from respiratory or cardiac... 

The liquid on the skin of a human subject was a mild irritant and caused slight eiythema and hyperemia. No evidence of eye irritation was noted in humans with repeated 8-hour exposures to 100ppm. The only reported adverse effects in humans relate to the occurrence of vertigo under conditions of severe and prolonged exposure to vapor mixmres of isobutanol and 1-butanol. ... 

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