Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
7
Regulatory Limits
and Applications
7.1 REGULATORY LIMITS
The purpose of this chapter is to briefly describe some of the organizations that
have established regulatory limits for metals. These include nongovernmental orga-
nizations such as the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists,
American Industrial Hygiene Association, International Agency for the Research
on Cancer, United Nations Environmental Program, and government organizations
including the Department of Transportation, Environment Canada, National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health, National Toxicology Program, Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
7.1.1 A
mericAn
c
onference
of
G
overnmentAl
i
industriAl
H
yGienists
(AcGiH)
The ACGIH has established Threshold Limit Values-Time Weighted Averages
(TLV-TWA) for more than 25 metals and metal compounds, and Short-Term Exposure
Limits (STEL) for beryllium and compounds, organic tin compounds, and soluble
and insoluble tungsten (ACGIH 2009). Critical effects for these metals on which
the TLVs-TWAs were based included factors such as respiratory effects, cancer, cen-
ACGIH also classified cobalt and its compounds, and lead and its compounds as
animal carcinogens; arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds, beryllium and com-
pounds, cadmium and cadmium compounds, chromium VI, and insoluble nickel
7.1.2
A
mericAn
i
industriAl
H
yGiene
A
ssociAtion
(AiHA)
The AIHA has established an Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) for
one metal, mercury (AIHA 2009). ERPGs are guidelines for responding to potential
releases of airborne substances for use in community emergency planning.
7.1.3 d
epArtment
of
t
rAnsportAtion
(dot)
The DOT has classified 45 metal substances as hazardous substances (DOT
2009). Of these, 22 are regulated as radionuclides (identified with an asterisk [*] in
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