Sources for Specific Guidelines for Airborne Contaminants

Download 281,22 Kb. Pdf ko'rish
bet	18/25
Sana	13.02.2024
Hajmi	281,22 Kb.
	#155571

1 ... 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ... 25

Bog'liq
tox exposure guidelines (1)

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Sources for Specific Guidelines for Airborne Contaminants
While there are many sources for general exposure guidelines, there are only a few that give
more specific information about what is considered a safe exposure limit. Many of the following
organizations have exposure guidelines for exposures to hazards other than airborne
contaminants (e.g., heat stress, noise, and radiation). This part will deal only with chemical
exposures.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). One of the first
groups to develop specific exposure guidelines was the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). In 1941, ACGIH suggested the development of Maximum
Allowable Concentrations (MACs) for use by industry. A list of MACs was compiled by ACGIH
and published in 1946. In the early 1960s, ACGIH revised those recommendations and renamed
them Threshold Limit Values (TLVs).
Along with the TLVs, ACGIH publishes Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs). BEIs are intended
to be used as guides for evaluation of exposure where inhalation is not the only possible route of
exposure. Since the TLVs are for inhalation only, they may not be protective if the chemical is
ingested or is absorbed through the skin. Biological monitoring (e.g., urine samples, breath
analysis) can be used to assess the overall exposure. This monitoring uses information about
what occurs in the body (e.g., metabolism of benzene to phenol) to determine if there has been an
unsafe exposure. The BEIs serve as a reference for biological monitoring just as TLVs serve as a
reference for air monitoring.
The TLVs are reviewed yearly and are published in their booklet, Threshold Limit Values and
Biological Exposure Indices.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) has published standards that are a consensus of the people who have a concern about the
subject the standard covers (e.g., hard hats and respirators). An ANSI standard is intended as a
guide to aid manufacturers, consumers, and the general public. ANSI has standards covering
many aspects of the working environment. Many of these have been adopted by OSHA (see later
discussion) as legal requirements.

(Created 12/02)
UNL Environmental Health and Safety · (402) 472-4925 · http://ehs.unl.edu
Some of the standards were exposure guidelines. They gave "acceptable concentrations" which
were "concentrations of air contaminants to which a person may be exposed without discomfort
or ill effects." These exposure limits were withdrawn in 1982. However, some were adopted by
OSHA before the withdrawal and still may be in use.

Download 281,22 Kb.

1 ... 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ... 25

Download 281,22 Kb.

Pdf ko'rish