Addendum to Dichloromethane

Assessment Values in Biological Material – Translation of the German version from 2016

Hermann M. Bolt¹
Wobbeke Weistenhöfer²
  Hans Drexler² (Head of the working group “Assessment Values in Biological Material” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  Andrea Hartwig³ (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  MAK Commission<sup>4

1</sup> Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, TU Dortmund, Ardeystraße 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
² Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9–11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
³ Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
⁴ Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany

Abstract

In 2015 the German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has re‐evaluated dichloromethane [75‐09‐2], considering dichloromethane in blood to characterize the internal exposure.

In a chamber study, 14 non‐smokers were exposed to different concentrations of dichloromethane. After exposure to the present MAK value of 50 ml dichloromethane/m³ without physical activity, a concentration of 0.3 mg dichloromethane/l blood was measured. Considering an increased intake due to elevated breathing volume during work, the exposure to 50 ml dichloromethane/m³ results in a blood concentration of 0.5 mg/l. Taking into account this study and the EKA correlation of 2001, a BAT value of 500 µg dichloromethane/l blood was evaluated. Sampling time is straight after exposure.

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