Chemical Sampling Information
	Ethylene oxide
Quick Links S&H Topics: Ethylene oxide General Description Exposure Limits Health Factors Monitoring Search    [use word(s)/phrase] Table of Contents By Name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z By CAS Number General Description Synonyms: Dimethylene oxide; 1,2-Epoxy ethane; Oxirane; ETO OSHA IMIS Code Number: 1190 Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 75-21-8 NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: KX2450000 Department of Transportation Regulation Number (49 CFR 172.101) and guide [2008 Emergency Response Guidebook, 2.5 MB PDF]: 1040 119P NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Ethylene oxide: chemical description, physical properties, potentially hazardous incompatibilities, and more Exposure Limits OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: Cancer & Reproductive Hazard 29 CFR 1910.1047 -- 1 ppm TWA; 5 ppm (15 Minutes) Excursion Limit; 0.5 ppm Action Level OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Construction Industry: 29 CFR 1926.1147 requirements identical to 1910.1047. OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Maritime: 29 CFR 1915.1047 requirements identical to 1910.1047. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 1 ppm, 1.8 mg/m3 TWA; Appendix A2 - Suspected Human Carcinogen National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL): <0.1 ppm, <0.18 mg/m3 TWA; 5 ppm, 9 mg/m3 (10 Minutes) Ceiling; Appendix A - NIOSH Potential Occupational Carcinogens Health Factors International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carcinogenic classification: Group 1, carcinogenic to humans [89 KB, PDF] NIOSH Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health Concentration (IDLH): 800 ppm Potential symptoms: Eye, nose, throat irritation; peculiar taste; headaches; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; dyspnea; cyanosis; pulmonary edema; persistant asthma-like symptoms (one case reported); drowsiness, weakness, incoordination; memory loss, mild cognitive impairment; elevated vibration threshold, abnormal pressure threshold; parkinsonian syndrome (one case reported); EKG abnormalities; burns eyes, skin; cataracts; frostbite (from liquid form); (carcinogenic); In animals: reproductive toxicity Health Effects: Irritation-Eye, Nose, Throat, Skin---Moderate (HE15); Cumulative lung, liver and kidney damage (HE3); Nervous System Disturbances---Neuropathy, Axonal injury (HE7); Reproductive Hazards---Increased risk of spontaneous abortion (HE5); Carcinogen (HE1) Affected organs: Eyes, blood, respiratory system, liver, CNS, kidneys, reproductive system Notes: Ethylene oxide forms adducts with hemoglobin and DNA, which researchers have used as markers of exposure for genotoxicity studies. OSHA's Ethylene oxide Standard is at 29 CFR §1910.1047 Links to OSHA's Fact Sheet and other website publications are found by selecting Ethylene oxide in OSHA's Index (Public Page). Date Last Revised: 05/21/2003 Literature Basis: (symptoms of neurotoxicity) Brashear, A., Unverzagt, F.W., Farber, M.O., Bonnin, J.M., Garcia, J.G. and Grober, E.: Ethylene oxide neurotoxicity: a cluster of 12 nurses with peripheral and central nervous system toxicity. Neurology 46(4): 992-998, 1996. (reactive airways dysfunction syndrome) Deschamps, D., Rosenberg, N., Soler, P., Maillard, G., Fournier, E., Salson, D. and Gervais, P.: Persistent asthma after accidental exposure to ethylene oxide. Br. J. Ind. Med. 49(7): 523-525, 1992. (Parkinsonism) Barbosa, E.R., Comerlatti, L.R., Haddad, M.S. and Scaff, M.: Parkinsonism secondary to ethylene oxide exposure: case report. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr. 50(4): 531-533, 1992. (cataracts) Deschamps, D., Leport, M., Laurent, A.-M., Cordier, S., Festy, B. and Conso, F.: Toxicity of ethylene oxide on the lens and on leukocytes : an epidemiological study in hospital sterilisation installations. Br. J. Ind. Med. 47(5): 308-313, 1990. (spontaneous abortion) Rowland, A.S., Baird, D.D., Shore, D.L., Darden, B. and Wilcox, A.J.: Ethylene oxide exposure may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, and postterm birth. Epidemiology 7(4): 363-368, 1996. (adduct formation) Kolman, A., Chovanec, M. and Osterman-Golkar, S.: Genotoxic effects of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and epichlorhydrin in humans: update review (1990-2001). Mutat. Res. 512(2-3): 173-194, 2002. Monitoring Methods used by OSHA Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Methods: sampling media: Coated Carbon Beads Tube (100/50 mg sections, 20/40 mesh); coating is HBr. analytical solvent: Methanol maximum volume: 12 Liters   maximum flow rate: 0.05 L/min (TWA) maximum volume: 0.75 Liter   maximum flow rate: 0.05 L/min (EL) current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/ECD method reference: OSHA Analytical Method (OSHA 1010) method classification: Fully Validated sampling media: Coated Petroleum Base Charcoal Tube (100/50 mg sections, 20/40 mesh); coating is HBr. analytical solvent: Dimethylformamide maximum volume: 24 Liters   maximum flow rate: 0.1 L/min (TWA) maximum volume: 1.5 Liters   maximum flow rate: 0.1 L/min (EL) current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/ECD method reference: OSHA Manual of Analytical Methods (OSHA 50) method classification: Fully Validated sampling media: 3M Ethylene oxide Monitors #3551 analytical solvent: Tetrahydrofuran minimum time: 60 minutes current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/ECD method reference: OSHA Manual of Analytical Methods (OSHA 49) method classification: Fully Validated note: Not to be used when monitoring for the Excursion Limit (EL). Samples may be collected up to an 8-hour period. sampling media: Two Charcoal Tubes in Series (100/50 mg sections) maximum volume: 3 Liters   maximum flow rate: 0.05 L/min current analytical method: Gas Chromatography method reference: Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory (WOHL) Methods On-Site Sampling Techniques/Methods: device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Dräger model/type: Ethylene oxide 1/a, order no. 67 28961 sampling information: 20 strokes upper measurement limit: 15 ppm detection limit: approx. 1 ppm overall uncertainty: 32% method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Dräger model/type: Ethylene oxide 25/a, order no. 67 28241 sampling information: 30 strokes upper measurement limit: 500 ppm detection limit: approx. 10 ppm overall uncertainty: 32% method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Gastec model/type: 163LL sampling information: 2 to 4 strokes upper measurement limit: 10 ppm detection limit: 0.5 ppm overall uncertainty: 25% for 0.1 to 0.5 ppm, 16% for 1 to 5 ppm method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Gastec model/type: 163L sampling information: 1 to 4 strokes upper measurement limit: 350 ppm detection limit: 0.1 ppm overall uncertainty: 25% for 1 to 20 ppm, 16% for 20 to 100 ppm method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Gastec model/type: 163 sampling information: 1 stroke upper measurement limit: 3.0% detection limit: 0.02% overall uncertainty: 16% for 0.05 to 1.0%, 8% for 1.0 to 3% method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Matheson-Kitagawa model/type: 8014-122SC sampling information: follow manufacturer’s instructions upper measurement limit: 15 ppm detection limit: approx. 1 ppm overall uncertainty: unknown method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Matheson-Kitagawa model/type: 8014-122SB sampling information: follow manufacturer’s instructions upper measurement limit: 100 ppm detection limit: approx. 5 ppm overall uncertainty: unknown method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) device: Detector Tube manufacturer: Matheson-Kitagawa model/type: 8014-122SA sampling information: follow manufacturer’s instructions upper measurement limit: 4% detection limit: approx. 0.01% overall uncertainty: unknown method reference: on-site air secondary (manufacturer) All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 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