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Vanadium fume

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

CAS number: 1314–62–1

NIOSH REL: 0.05 mg V/m3 15-minute CEILING

Current OSHA PEL: 0.1 mg V2O5/m3 CEILING

1989 OSHA PEL: 0.05 mg V2O5/m3 CEILING

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.05 mg V2O5/m3 (respirable fume) TWA

Description of substance: Finely divided particulate dispersed in air.

LEL:. . Noncombustible Solid

Original (SCP) IDLH: 70 mg/m3 (as V2O5)

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The available data concerning the physiological effects of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) refer either to V2O5 dust or just to V2O5, and do not specifically mention V2O5 fume. Patty [1963] stated that the lower limit for a V2O5 fume is based on the recognized greater toxicity of fume compared with dusts of larger particle size. Because no quantitative data are available specifically for V2O5 fume, the chosen IDLH is based on the report by ACGIH [1971] that 70 mg/m3 V2O5 dust is a lethal concentration for animals after a few hours of exposure [Hudson]. A margin of safety is present in the IDLH for the dust, because the exposure is for a few hours. Therefore, although based on an analogy with V2O5 dust, the IDLH for the fume is probably reasonable.

Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:

Animal data: It has been reported that 70 mg/m3 V2O5 dust is a lethal concentration after a few hours of exposure [Hudson].

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

REFERENCES:

1. ACGIH [1971]. Vanadium (as V). In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for substances in workroom air. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 275-276.

2. Hudson TGF [1964]. Vanadium, toxicology and biological significance. New York, NY: Elsevier Publishing Company, p. 75.

3. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1182.