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-hr LC (CF) |
Derived value |
Rat Rat Mouse |
Koch et al. 1980 Steinhagen et al. 1982 Steinhagen et al. 1982 |
4,700 4,540 7,650 |
----- ----- ----- |
4 hr 6 hr 2 hr |
9,400 ppm (2.0) 10,442 ppm (2.3) 12,240 ppm (1.6) |
940 ppm 1,044 ppm 1,224 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
Species |
Reference |
Route |
LD50 (mg/kg) |
LDLo (mg/kg) |
Adjusted LD |
Derived value |
Rat Mouse Rabbit G. pig |
Dzhanashvili 1967 Dzhanashvili 1967 Dzhanashvili 1967 Dzhanashvili 1967 |
oral oral oral oral |
698 316 240 240 |
----- ----- ----- ----- |
2,613 ppm 1,183 ppm 898 ppm 898 ppm |
261 ppm 118 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.
Revised IDLH: 500 ppm Basis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for dimethylamine is 500 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Steinhagen et al. 1982]. |
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.
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- Page last updated: December 4, 2014
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