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Dimethylamine

May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)

CAS number: 124–40–3

NIOSH REL: 10 ppm (18 mg/m3) TWA

Current OSHA PEL: 10 ppm (18 mg/m3) TWA

1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 5 ppm (9.2 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (27.6 mg/m3) STEL

Description of Substance: Colorless gas with an ammonia- or fish-like odor.

LEL:. . 2.8% (10% LEL, 2,800 ppm)

Original (SCP) IDLH: 2,000 ppm

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: No data on acute inhalation toxicity are available for dimethylamine. Therefore, the chosen IDLH is based on an analogy with diethylamine which has an IDLH of 2,000 ppm.

Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA

Lethal concentration data:

Species Reference LC50(ppm) LCLo(ppm) Time Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) Derivedvalue
RatRat

Mouse

Koch et al. 1980Steinhagen et al. 1982

Steinhagen et al. 1982

4,7004,540

7,650

———-

—–

4 hr6 hr

2 hr

9,400 ppm (2.0)10,442 ppm (2.3)

12,240 ppm (1.6)

940 ppm1,044 ppm

1,224 ppm

 

Lethal dose data:

Species Reference Route LD50(mg/kg) LDLo(mg/kg) Adjusted LD Derived value
RatMouse

Rabbit

G. pig

Dzhanashvili 1967Dzhanashvili 1967

Dzhanashvili 1967

Dzhanashvili 1967

oraloral

oral

oral

698316

240

240

———-

—–

—–

2,613 ppm1,183 ppm

898 ppm

898 ppm

261 ppm118 ppm

90 ppm

90 ppm

 

Other animal data: RD50 (mouse), 511 ppm [Steinhagen et al. 1982]; RD50 (rat), 573 ppm [Steinhagen et al. 1982].

Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.

 

REFERENCES:

1. Dzhanashvili GD [1967]. Maximum permissible concentration of dimethylamine in water bodies. Gig Sanit 32(6):329-335 (translated).

2. Koch F, Guenter M, Kliche R, Lang R [1980]. Studies on the aerogenic intoxication of rats by means of methylamines. Wiss Z: Karl Marx University, Leipzig, Math-Naturwiss. Reihe 29:463-474. [From ACGIH [1991]. Dimethylamine. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 479-481.]

3. Steinhagen WH, Swenberg JA, Barrow CS [1982]. Acute inhalation toxicity and sensory irritation of dimethylamine. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 43(6):411-417.