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Chemical Sampling Information |
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| Ethyl Ether |
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General Description
Synonyms: Diethyl ether; Ethyl oxide; Ether; Diethyl oxide; 1,1'-Oxybisethane
OSHA IMIS Code Number: 1210
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 60-29-7
NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: KI5775000
Department of Transportation Regulation Number (49 CFR 172.101) and Guide: 1155 127
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Ethyl Ether: chemical description, physical properties, potentially hazardous incompatibilities, and more
Exposure Limits
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 Z-1 Table -- 400 ppm, 1200 mg/m3 TWA
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Construction Industry: 29 CFR 1926.55 Appendix A -- 400 ppm, 1200 mg/m3 TWA
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Maritime: 29 CFR 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards -- 400 ppm, 1200 mg/m3 TWA
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 400 ppm, 1210 mg/m3 TWA; 500 ppm, 1520 mg/m3 STEL
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL): Appendix D - Substances With No Established RELs
Health Factors
NIOSH Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health Concentration (IDLH): 1,900 ppm [LEL]
Potential symptoms: Eye, skin, upper respiratory system irritation; cough, sore throat; dizziness, drowsiness; headache; excitation; narcosis; nausea, vomiting; labored breathing, unconsciousness; dry skin.
Health Effects: Narcosis (HE8) Irritation-Eye, Nose, Throat, Skin ---Mild (HE16); Explosive, Flammable (HE18).
Affected organs: CNS, skin, respiratory system, eyes
Notes:
- Vapor/air mixtures are explosive. The IDLH determined by NIOSH is 10% of the lower explosive limit of 1.9%.
- The minimum alveolar concentration necessary to achieve a surgical plane of anesthesia with ethyl ether is approximately 2.0%.
- Ethyl ether is subject to abuse as an inhalant.
- Exposure can be determined by measuring ethyl ether in expired air or in blood.
- Ethyl ether may cause false positive readings by some instruments made for breath ethanol analysis. It may also compete with ethanol at the metabolic level, as both can be metabolized to acetaldehyde by cytochrome P450 2E1.
Date Last Revised: 08/04/2005
Literature Basis:
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Ethyl Ether.
- International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO): Diethyl ether.
- Bell, C.M., Gutowski, S.J., Young, S. and Wells, D.: Diethyl ether interference with infrared breath analysis. J. Anal. Toxicol. 16(3): 166-168, 1992.
- Brady, J.F., Lee, M.J., Li, M., Ishizaki, H. and Yang, C.S.: Diethyl ether as a substrate for acetone/ethanol-inducible cytochrome P-450 and as an inducer for cytochrome(s) P-450. Mol. Pharmacol. 33(2): 148-154, 1988.
- Eger, E.I., 2nd, Laster, M.J., Gregory, G.A., Katoh, T. and Sonner, J.M.: Women appear to have the same minimum alveolar concentration as men: a retrospective study. Anesthesiology 99(5): 1059-1061, 2003.
- Krenz, S., Zimmermann, G., Kolly, S. and Zullino, D.F.: Ether: a forgotten addiction. Addiction 98(8): 1167-1168, 2003.
- Pohanish, R.P. (editor): Ethyl ether. In, Sittig's Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, Fourth Ed., Vol. 1. Norwich, NY: Noyes Publications, William Andrew Publishing, 2002, pp. 1104-1106.
Monitoring Methods used by OSHA
Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method:
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sampling media: Charcoal Tube (100/50 mg sections, 20/40 mesh)
analytical solvent: Ethyl acetate
maximum volume: 3 Liters maximum flow rate: 0.2 L/min (TWA)
maximum volume: 3 Liters maximum flow rate: 0.2 L/min (STEL)
current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/FID
method reference: NIOSH Analytical Method (NIOSH 1610)
method classification: Partially Validated
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