Tributyl phosphate
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 126–73–8
NIOSH REL: 0.2 ppm (2.5 mg/m3) TWA
Current OSHA PEL: 5 mg/m3 TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: 0.2 ppm (2.5 mg/m3) TWA
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.2 ppm (2.2 mg/m3) TWA
Description of substance: Colorless to pale-yellow, odorless liquid.
LEL: . . Unknown
Original (SCP) IDLH: 125 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the only available data on acute inhalation toxicity of exposure to tributyl phosphate. Patty [1963] reported that 0 of 3 rats succumbed to a 6-hour exposure to 123 ppm (1,337 mg/m3) [Fassett]. No other quantitative data are available on which to base the IDLH.
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50 (ppm) |
LCLo (ppm) |
Time | Adjusted 0.5-hr LC (CF) |
Derived value |
| Cat | Eller 1937 | ----- | 2,214 | 5 hr | 4,760 ppm (2.15) | 476 ppm |
| Cat | IPCS 1991 | 227 | ----- | 4-5 hr | 454-488 ppm (2.0/2.15) | 45-49 ppm |
| Rat | IPCS 1991 | 123 | ----- | 6 hr | 283 ppm (2.3) | 28 ppm |
| Rat | Kalinina 1971 | 117 | ----- | ? | ? | ? |
| Rat | TSCATS | 2,529 | ----- | 1 hr | 3,161 ppm (1.25) | 316 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50 (mg/kg) |
LDLo (mg/kg) |
Adjusted LD | Derived value |
| Mouse | Kalinina 1971 | oral | 1,189 | ----- | 752 ppm | 75 ppm |
| Rat | Smyth & Carpenter 1944 | oral | 3,000 | ----- | 1,897 ppm | 190 ppm |
Other animal data: It has been reported that rats survived a 6-hour exposure to 123 ppm (1,337 mg/m3) [Patty 1963].
Human data: Nausea and headache have been reported in workers exposed to 15 mg/m3 (1.4 ppm) [Mastromatteo 1964].
| Revised IDLH: 30 ppm Basis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for tributyl phosphate is 30 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [IPCS 1991]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data in humans exposed to concentrations above 1.4 ppm. |
REFERENCES:
1. ACGIH [1991]. Tributyl phosphate. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 1600-1601.
2. Eller H [1937]. Beitrag zur toxikologie technischer weichmachungsmittel (dissertation). Pharmakologishen Institut der Universitat Wursburg, Germany.
3. Fassett DW [?]. Unpublished data from the Laboratory of Industrial Medicine, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY. [From Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1915.]
4. IPCS [1991]. Environmental health criteria 112, tri-n-butyl phosphate. Geneva, Switzerland: World health Organization, International Programme on Chemical Safety. [From ACGIH [1991]. Tributyl phosphate. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 1600-1601.]
5. Kalinina NI [1971]. Toxicity of phosphoroorganic platificators tributyl phosphate and di(2-ethylhexyl)phenyl phosphate. Gig Tr Prof Zabol 15(8):30-33 (in Russian).
6. Mastromatteo E [1964]. Personal communication to TLV Committee. [From ACGIH [1991]. Tributyl phosphate. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 1600-1601.]
7. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1915.
8. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP [1944]. The place of the range-finding test in the industrial toxicology laboratory. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 26:269-273.
9. TSCATS. Office of Toxic Substances Report FYI-OTS-0285-0380.