Polyalphaolefins
MAK Value Documentation, addendum – Translation of the German version from 2018
Andrea Hartwig1 (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)MAK Commission2
1 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
2 Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany
Abstract
The German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has re‐evaluated the maximum concentration at the workplace (MAK value) and the Pregnancy Risk Group of polyalphaolefins [e.g. 68649‐11‐6].
Polyalphaolefins are synthetic mineral oils. For refined mineral oils, the critical effect is lung toxicity which is observed as microgranulomas in two long‐term studies with rats and dogs at a respirable aerosol concentration of 100 mg/m3 with a NOAEC of 5 mg/m3. With these studies, a MAK value of 5 mg/m3 had been set as the respirable fraction (R) for polyalphaolefins. This value is now reaffirmed even considering the increased respiratory volume at the workplace (see List of MAK and BAT Values, Sections I b and I c).
Polyalphaolefins had been classified in Pregnancy Risk Group C because of studies with oral and dermal application in rats. Additionally, now an inhalation study with white mineral oil and a NOAEC for developmental toxicity of 1000 mg/m3 in rats is used to confirm the assignment of polyalphaolefins to Pregnancy Risk Group C even considering the increased respiratory volume at the workplace.
