Documentation for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLHs)

Pyridine

IDLH Documentation CAS number: 110861

NIOSH REL: 5 ppm (15 mg/m³) TWA

Current OSHA PEL: 5 ppm (15 mg/m³) TWA

1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 5 ppm (16 mg/m³) TWA

Description of substance: Colorless to yellow liquid with a nauseating, fishlike odor.

LEL: . 1.8% (10% LEL, 1,800 ppm)

Original (SCP) IDLH: 3,600 ppm

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statement by Patty [1963] that 2 of 3 rats died following a 6hour exposure to 3,600 ppm [Fassett and Roudabush 1953].

Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:

Lethal concentration data:

Species	Reference	LC₅₀ (ppm)	LC_Lo (ppm)	Time	Adjusted 0.5-hr LC (CF)	Derived value
Rat	Fassett & Roudabush 1953	LC₆₆: 3,600	-----	6 hr	8,280 ppm (2.3)	828 ppm
Rat	Smyth et al. 1951	LC₈₃: 4,000	-----	4 hr	8,000 ppm (2.0)	800 ppm
Rat	Vernot et al. 1977	9,000	-----	1 hr	11,250 ppm (1.25)	1,125 ppm

Lethal dose data:

Species	Reference	Route	LD₅₀ (mg/kg)	LD_Lo (mg/kg)	Adjusted LD	Derived value
Rat	Biofax 1970	oral	891	-----	1,896 ppm	190 ppm
Mouse	Leslie et al. 1973	oral	1,500	-----	3,191 ppm	319 ppm
Rat	Smyth et al. 1951	oral	1,580	-----	3,362 ppm	386 ppm

Human data: Nausea, headache, insomnia, nervousness, and low back or abdominal discomfort with urinary frequency have occurred in individuals exposed to concentrations averaging 125 ppm for 4 hours/day for 1 to 2 weeks [Patty 1963]. Chronic poisoning with mild symptoms of central nervous system injury occurred in workers at a plant where pyridine vapor concentrations ranged from 6 to 12 ppm [Tessinger 1948].

Revised IDLH: 1,000 ppm

Basis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for pyridine is 1,000 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Vernot et al. 1977].

REFERENCES:

1. Biofax [1970]. Data sheet 14. Northbrook, IL: Biofax Industrial BioTest Laboratories, Inc.

2. Fassett DW, Roudabush RL [1953]. Toxicity of pyridine derivatives with relationship to chemical structure. Unpublished paper presented to the American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference, Los Angeles, CA.

3. Leslie GB, Hanahoe THP, Ireson JD, Sturman G [1973]. Some pharmacological properties of pyridine. Pharmacol Res Commun 5(4):341365.

4. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., pp. 2190, 27272731.

5. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CS [1951]. Rangefinding toxicity data: list IV. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 4:119122.

6. Teisinger J [1948]. Mild chronic intoxication with pyridine. Czech Med J 39(1947); abstracted in J Ind Hyg Toxicol 30:58. [From ACGIH [1991]. Pyridine. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 13281330.]

7. Vernot EH, MacEwen JD, Haun CC, Kinkead ER [1977]. Acute toxicity and skin corrosion data for some organic and inor ganic compounds and aqueous solutions. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 42(2):417423. Go back to the Documentation for Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health Concentrations (IDLHs)