Peracetic acid Documentation for occupational exposure limits (OEls)

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Peracetic acid Documentation for occupational exposure limits (OEls)

Journal Title: Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy - Year 2014, Vol 30, Issue 1

Abstract

Peracetic acid (PAA) most often exists as a mixture, which is in chemical equilibrium with hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid and water. In trade, PAA is present in aqueous solutions (at a concentration of &amp;lt; 15%), which are clear, colorless liquids with a pungent odor of vinegar. Peracetic acid is mainly used as a disinfectant, bleach or oxidant in preparative chemistry. It is a high production volume chemical. Under occupational conditions, there is a probability of exposure to aqueous solutions of PAA by inhalation as well as by dermal route during such operations as load-ing and unloading, and various industrial uses. Aerosols and vapors of aqueous solutions of PAA exhibit irritation to the respiratory tract and eyes. Workers in acute inhalation exposure may feel strong discomfort and watery eyes due to irritation. Laboratory animals also suffered irritation of eyes and respiratory tract with varying degrees of severity depending on the concentration. Under conditions of exposure to high concentrations followed by chronic inhalation, besides respiratory tract and eye irritation, inflammatory changes in the lungs, decreased weight gain, changes in blood counts and liver inflammation have been observed.In Poland, a MAC (maximum admissible con-centration) value for PAA has not been estab-lished yet. All over the world, only the Ameri-can Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) proposed a STEL value for peracetic acid at the level of 1.22 mg/m[sup]3[/sup]. It was agreed that the critical health endpoints of aqueous solutions of PAA are the irritation of the eyes and the upper respiratory tract. In studies on rats (Janssen 1989c), RD50 was 8.4 mg/m[sup]3[/sup]. As recommended by the ACGIH, the MAC value should be established within the range of 0.1 – 0.01 RD50. The Expert Group for Chemical Agents established that the MAC value for this compound should be 0.1 RD50, i.e. 0.8 mg/m[sup]3[/sup]. Moreover, based on the molar ratios it was calculated that the proposed MAC value for peracetic acid corresponds to 0.4 mg/m3 of hydrogen peroxide, which is formed during decomposition of peracetic acid. It is the current MAC value for hydrogen peroxide in Poland. Therefore, the adopted MAC value of 0.8 mg/m[sup]3 [/sup]should protect workers against both chemicals. The validity of this MAC value is also confirmed by the results of Fraser, Thorbinson (1986) and McDonagh (1997), which indicate that short-term exposure to PAA at a concentration of 1.56 mg/m[sup]3[/sup] should not cause unpleasant sensations or immediate irritation of eyes and respiratory tract, but for more sensitive people, prolonged exposure may be uncomfortable. Considering the irritat-ing/corrosive properties of aqueous solutions of peracetic acid, 1.6 mg/m[sup]3[/sup] has been pro-posed as the value of short-term exposure limit (STEL). Notation C (corrosive) has been proposed.

Authors and Affiliations

Daria Pakulska, Sławomir Czerczak

Keywords

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EP ID EP224515
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