Pyridine. Documentation
Journal Title: Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy - Year 2013, Vol 29, Issue 3
Abstract
Pyridine, a colorless liquid with a characteristic unpleasant odor, has been categorized as a highly flammable and harmful substance. It exerts harm-ful effects if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin. Pyridine is used as a solvent in paints, rubber, pharmaceuticals, polycarbonate resins and textile fabric impregnating agents. Its large quantities are applied as a precursor in the production of pyridine derivatives, piperidine, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and other products.In Poland, according to the 2011 data of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, 31 workers in 2010 and 46 workers in 2011 were occupationally exposed to pyridine at concentrations from > 0.1 to 0.5 of the maximum admissible concentration (MAC) value, equal 5 mg/m[sup]3[/sup]. No workers were exposed to pyridine at concentration exceeding the 0.5 MAC value. The human lethal dose of pyridine has been estimated at 0.5 – 5.0 mg/kg of body weight. In the reported cases of acute pyridine intoxication the following symptoms and signs were observed after ingestion: nausea, vertigo, abdominal pain and lung congestion and after inhalation: effects on the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by speech disorders and extensive cerebral cortex hypoxia. Chronic pyridine intoxication of workers employed in chemical plants, where its air concen-trations reached 19 – 42 mg/m[sup]3[/sup], have also been reported. In those cases, such symptoms as head-aches, vertigo, nervousness, insomnia, occasional nausea and vomiting were found. Based on the results of rather rare epidemiological studies no excess mortality among workers ex-posed to pyridine in three British plants was found in 1961–1983. The LOAEL value of 7 mg/kg of body weight for pyridine corresponds with pyridine air concentra-tion of 49 mg/m[sup]3[/sup] (15 ppm), providing that an adult person of 70 kg body weight inhales 10 m3 of the air during an 8-hour work shift. After applying coefficients of uncertainty (total value, 8), the MAC value for pyridine was estimated at 6.13 mg/m[sup]3[/sup].In the EU, the OEL value for pyridine has not been set, however, maintaining its air concentration below 5 ppm (16 mg/m3) is recommended. The established pyridine MAC value of 6.13 mg/m[sup]3[/sup] not only meets this criterion but it is also close to the MAC value (5 mg/m[sup]3[/sup]) for pyridine binding in Poland. The authors of the documentation have suggested to keep the MAC value for pyridine at 5 mg/m[sup]3[/sup], since according to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate data for 2010–2011 in Poland there were no work-ers exposed to pyridine at concentrations exceed-ing 0.5 of the MAC value (2.5 mg/m[sup]3)[/sup]. The compound was labelled with “Sk” indicating dermal absorption of the substance. There are no grounds for defining the maximum admissible short-term exposure level (STEL) for this compound. Therefore, it has been suggested to eliminate this value from the list of MAC values. The adherence to MAC value for pyridine of 5 mg/m3 should protect workers against harmful effects of pyridine on the CNS observed after exposure to its concentrations of 19 – 42 mg/m[sup]3[/sup].
Authors and Affiliations
Andrzej Sapota, Małgorzata Skrzypińska-Gawrysiak
Keywords
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