[Reference values for indoor air: dearomatized hydrocarbon solvents (C(9)-C(14))]

Abstract

To protect public health the German Joint Working Group on Indoor Guidelines of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the States' Departments of Health is issuing indoor air guideline values based on a fixed procedure published in 1996. Regarding dearomatized hydrocarbon solvents/white spirits (DAWS--CAS-No. 64742-47-8, 64742-48-9, 64742-88-7, 64741- 65-7) no human data are available. From animal studies, neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity and reproductive toxicity were identified as critical endpoints. For risk evaluation the Hass et al. (2001) study was used as the pivotal study. Based on effects at 4680 mg DAWS/m(3) for the endpoint developmental toxicity, the lowest adverse effect level for chronic exposure is assessed as 400 mg DAWS/m(3). By applying an interspecies factor of 10, an intraspecies factor of 10 and an additional factor 2 referring to the special physiology of children (higher breath rate compared to adults) a so-called health hazard value of 2 mg DAWS/m(3) indoor air and a so-called health prevention value of 0.2 mg DAWS/m(3) are obtained.