Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment as an element of the earth's crust. Arsenic is combined with other elements such as oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Exposure to higher-than-average levels of arsenic occurs mainly in workplaces, near or in hazardous waste sites, and areas with high levels naturally occurring in soil, rocks, and water. Exposure to high levels of arsenic can cause death. Exposure to arsenic at low levels for extended periods of time can cause a discoloration of the skin and the appearance of small corns or warts.

Arsenic exposures are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, and the construction industry.

Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), directives (instructions for compliance officers), standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards), and national consensus standards related to arsenic.

OSHA

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1018, Inorganic arsenic
    • Appendix A, Inorganic arsenic substance information sheet
    • Appendix B, Substance technical guidelines
    • Appendix C, Medical surveillance guidelines

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1915.1018, Inorganic arsenic. The requirements applicable to shipyard employment under this section are identical to those set forth by 29 CFR 1910.1018.

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1926.1118, Inorganic arsenic. The requirements applicable to construction work under this section are identical to those set forth by 29 CFR 1910.1018.

Preambles to Final Rules

• Coke Oven Emissions and Inorganic Arsenic (1998)
  • III. Summary and Explanation
  • IV. Summary of the Final Economic Analysis
    
    
• Air Contaminants (1989)
  • VI. Health Effects Discussion and Determination of Final PEL
  • VII. Feasibility and Regulatory Analyses
    
    
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Directives

• Consultation for Wood Treatment Operations Utilizing Inorganic Compounds. CSP 02-01-001 [TED 3.7], (1986, September 9). Outlines who has jurisdiction over occupational use of inorganic compounds (mainly arsenic) used as wood treatments/preservatives and what the occupational limits are.
  
  
• Search all available directives.

Standard Interpretations

• Notification compliance for employees exposed above inorganic arsenic PEL. (1999, August 4). Clarifies sections of the inorganic arsenic standard.
  
  
• Chest X-Ray and sputum cytology requirements. (1996, August 19). Explains the medical surveillance requirements of the arsenic standard.
  
  
• Protective footwear requirements for inorganic arsenic and lead. (1993, February 12).
  
  
• Gloves are required for employees handling chloropicrin; Arsenic containing pesticides and wood preservatives are not within the scope of the inorganic arsenic standard. (1985, June 26). Outlines the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and OSHA's jurisdictions over occupational exposures to pesticides and arsenic containing wood preservatives.
  
  
• General overview of safe handling of arsenic containing compounds. (1985, June 3).
  
  
• Search all available standard interpretations.

National Consensus

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)

• Threshold Limit Value (TLV) and Biological Exposure Index (BEI) Resources. The TLV is 0.01 mg/m³ for arsenic and inorganic compounds, as As.

Hazard Recognition

Arsenic exposure in the workplace occurs through inhalation, ingestion, dermal or eye contact. Chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to dermatitis, mild pigmentation keratosis of the skin, vasospasticity, gross pigmentation with hyperkeratinization of exposed areas, wart formation, decreased nerve conduction velocity, and lung cancer. Acute exposures can cause lung distress and death. The following references provide information about the hazards and health effects associated with arsenic.

• Report on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Public Health Services, National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their carcinogenicity and includes a table of contents with links to sections of the report.
  • Arsenic and Inorganic Arsenic Compounds [108 KB PDF, 4 pages]. Explains the carcinogenicity, properties, use, production, exposure, and regulations of arsenic.
    
    
• Toxicological Profile for Arsenic. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2007, August). Provides exposure risks, exposure limits, and health effects for arsenic.
  
  
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149, (2007, September). Lists the physical description, synonyms and trade names, personal protection, first-aid, and exposure limits for many chemicals including arsenic
  • Arsenic (inorganic compounds, as As)
  • Arsenic (organic compounds, as As)
  • Arsine
    
    
• Arsenic (inorganic compounds, as As). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH), (1996, August 16). NIOSH considers inorganic arsenic compounds to be potential occupational carcinogens.
  
  
• Hazardous Substance Data Bank (HSDB). National Library of Medicine (NLM), Specialized Information Services (SIS). Provides a cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related areas.

Related Literature

• Hertz-Picciotto I, Arrighi HM, Hu SW. Does arsenic exposure increase the risk for circulatory disease? American Journal of Epidemiology. 2000 Aug 1;152(3):290-3.
  
  
• Jensen GE, Hansen ML. Occupational arsenic exposure and glycosylated haemoglobin. Analyst. 1998 Jan;123(1):77-80.
  
  
• Arrighi HM, Hertz-Picciotto I. Controlling the healthy worker survivor effect, an example of arsenic exposure and respiratory cancer. Occupational Environmental Medicine. 1996 July;53(7):455-62.
  
  
• Tollestrup K, Daling JR, Allard J. Mortality in a cohort of orchard workers exposed to lead arsenate pesticide spray. Archives of Environmental Health. 1995 May-Jun;50(3):221-9.
  
  
• Nriagu J. Arsenic in the Environment. Hoboken(NJ): John Wiley and Sons, Ltd; 1994. Provides a two part set of a comprehensive review of arsenic, including health impacts, sources, and analytical methods.
  
  
• Hertz-Picciotto I, et al. Synergism between occupational arsenic exposure and smoking in the induction of lung cancer. Epidemiology. 1992 Jan;3(1):23-31.
  
  
• Jaerup L, Pershagen G. Arsenic exposure, smoking, and lung cancer in smelter workers; a case-control study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1991 Sep 15;1346:545-51.

Exposure Evaluation

Industries that use inorganic arsenic and its compounds, where sampling may be necessary, include wood preservation, glass production, nonferrous metal alloys, and electronic semiconductor manufacturing. Inorganic arsenic is also found in coke oven emissions associated with the smelter industry. Arsenic and its compounds occur in crystalline, powder, amorphous, or vitreous forms. The following references aid in evaluating arsenic hazards in the workplace.

Related Literature

• Christensen JM. Human exposure to toxic metals: factors influencing interpretation of Biomonitoring results. Science of the Total Environment. 1995 April 21;166:89-135.

OSHA Methods

• OSHA has developed and validated methods for use by the Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC) laboratory. The following method has been adopted by many laboratories for the analysis of chemical compounds.
  • Inorganic Arsenic in Workplace Atmospheres. Analytical Method ID-105, (1991).
    • Arsenic Backup Data Report (ID-105). Addendum to method ID-105, (1991).

OSHA Chemical Sampling Information

• The following chemical sampling information files present, in concise form, data on a number of chemical substances that may be encountered in industrial hygiene investigations. They are intended as a basic reference for industrial hygienists engaged in OSHA field activity.
  • Arsenic, Inorganic. (2003, August 7).
  • Arsenic, Organic Compounds (as As). (1993, December 28).
  • Arsine. (2003, July 31).

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Methods

• Arsenic and Compounds, as Arsenic (except AsH³ and As²O³) [24 KB PDF, 3 pages]. Method No. 7900, (1994, August 15). Describes the analytical and sampling method for arsenic, including media, flow-rates, and so forth.
  
  
• Arsenic Trioxide, as As [24 KB PDF, 4 pages]. Method No. 7901, (1994, August 15). Describes the sampling and analysis of arsenic trioxide.

Possible Solutions

The following links and references provide information for the control of occupational arsenic exposures.

Control

• Occupational Safety and Health Guideline for Arsenic. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Summarizes pertinent information about inorganic arsenic for workers, employers, and occupational safety and health professionals who may need such information to conduct effective occupational safety and health programs.

Related Literature

• Priha E, Ahonen I, Oksa P. Control of chemical risks during the treatment of soil contaminated with chlorophenol, creosote, and copper-chrome-arsenic wood preservatives. American Journal of Industrial Medicine (AJIM). 2001 Apr;39:402-9.
  
  
• Sheehy JW, Jones JH. Assessment of arsenic exposures and controls in gallium arsenide production. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal. 1993 Feb;54(2):61-9.

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Beryllium
  


• Cadmium
  


• Hexavalent Chromium
  


• Lead
  


• Medical Screening and Surveillance
  


• Mercury
  


• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  


• Process Safety Management (PSM)
  


• Respiratory Protection
  


• Toxic Metals
  


• Ventilation

Other Resources

• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). AIHA is one of the largest international associations serving the needs of occupational and environmental health professionals practicing industrial hygiene.

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