Chlorine dioxide
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 10049–04–4
NIOSH REL: 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/m3) TWA, 0.3 ppm (0.9 mg/m3) STEL
Current OSHA PEL: 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/m3) TWA, 0.3 ppm (0.9 mg/m3) STEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.1 ppm (0.28 mg/m3) TWA, 0.3 ppm (0.83 mg/m3) STEL
Description of Substance: Yellow to red gas or a red-brown liquid (below 52 F) with an unpleasant odor similar to chlorine and nitric acid.
LEL: . . Unknown
Original (SCP) IDLH: 10 ppm
Basis for original (SCP): IDLH AIHA [1958] reported that rats exposed repeatedly to about 10 ppm for 4 hours daily died, whereas those exposed to about 0.1 ppm, 5 hours daily for 10 weeks, showed no detectable effects [Dalhamn 1957]. AIHA [1958] also reported that animals survived 2-hour exposures to 20 ppm, though some species exhibited symptoms [Gloemme and Lundgren 1957]. Elkins [1950] stated that 5 ppm is definitely irritating and 2 cases of illness (1 fatal) resulted from exposure to less than 19 ppm. AIHA [1958] reported that delayed deaths occur in animals after single exposures to 150 to 200 ppm for less than 1 hour [Gloemme and Lundgren 1957]. Based on the data cited above, an IDLH of 10 ppm is chosen.
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 |
| Rat | Dalhamn 1957 | ----- | 260 | 2 hr | 416 ppm (1.6) | 42 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
Species |
Reference |
Route |
LD50 (mg/kg) |
LDLo (mg/kg) |
Adjusted LD |
Derived value |
| Rat | Abdel-Rahman et al. 1982 | oral | 292 | ----- | 729 ppm | 73 ppm |
Human data: It has been reported that 5 ppm is definitely irritating and that 19 ppm caused the death of one worker inside a tank (time of exposure was not specified) [Elkins 1950].
| Revised IDLH: 5 ppm Basis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH is 5 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [Elkins 1950]. |
REFERENCES:
1. Abdel-Rahman MS, Gerges SE, Alliger H [1982]. Toxicity of alcide. J Appl Toxicol 2(3):160-164.
2. AIHA [1958]. Chlorine dioxide. In: Hygienic guide series. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 19:261-262.
3. Dalhamn T [1957]. Chlorine dioxide: toxicity in animal experiments and industrial risks. AMA Arch Ind Health 15(2):101-107.
4. Elkins HB [1950]. Chlorine dioxide, ClO2. In: The chemistry of industrial toxicology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 87-88.
5. Gloemme J, Lundgren KD [1957]. Health hazards from chlorine dioxide. AMA Arch Ind Health 16:169-176.