An official website of the United States government
Ethyl formate
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 109–94–4
NIOSH REL: 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) TWA
Current OSHA PEL: 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 100 ppm (303 mg/m3) TWA
Description of Substance: Colorless liquid with a fruity odor.
LEL:. . 2.8% (10% LEL, 2,800 ppm)
Original (SCP) IDLH: 8,000 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the statements by Smyth [1956] cited in Patty [1963] and by UCC [1968] that 5 of 6 rats died following a 4-hour exposure to 8,000 ppm and no rats died from a 4-hour exposure to 4,000 ppm.
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50(ppm) | LCLo(ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) | Derivedvalue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CatRat
Rat |
Flury and Zernik 1931Smyth 1956
Smyth et al. 1954 |
—–LC83: 8,000
—– |
10,000—–
8,000 |
1.5 hr4 hr
4 hr |
14,500 ppm (1.45)16,000 ppm (2.0)
16,000 ppm (2.0) |
1,450 ppm1,600 ppm
1,600 ppm |
Lethal dose data:
| Species | Reference | Route | LD50(mg/kg) | LDLo(mg/kg) | Adjusted LD | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RatG. pig
Rabbit |
Jenner et al. 1964Jenner et al. 1964
Munch 1972 |
oraloral
oral |
1,8501,110
2,075 |
———-
—– |
4,205 ppm2,523 ppm
4,716 ppm |
421 ppm252 ppm
472 ppm |
Other animal data: It has been stated that rats have survived a 4-hour exposure to 4,000 ppm [UCC 1968].
Human data: It has been reported that 330 ppm produced slight eye irritation and rapidly increasing nasal irritation [Flury and Zernik 1931].
| Revised IDLH: 1,500 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for ethyl formate is 1,500 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Flury and Zernik 1931; Smyth 1956; Smyth et al. 1954]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of relevant acute toxicity data for workers at concentrations above 330 ppm. |
REFERENCES:
1. Flury F, Zernik F [1931]. Schädliche gase dämpfe, nebel, rauch- und staubarten. Berlin, Germany: Verlag von Julius Springer, p. 375 (in German).
2. Jenner PM, Hagan EC, Taylor JM, Cook EL, Fitzhugh OG [1964]. Food flavourings and compounds of related structure. I. Acute oral toxicity. Food Cosmet Toxicol 2:327-343.
3. Munch JC [1972]. Aliphatic alcohols and alkyl esters: narcotic and lethal potencies to tadpoles and to rabbits. Ind Med Surg 41:31-33.
4. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1855.
5. Smyth HF Jr [1956]. Improved communication: hygienic standards for daily inhalation. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q 17(2):129-185.
6. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CS, Pozzani UC [1954]. Range-finding toxicity data: list V. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 10:61-68.
7. UCC [1968]. Toxicology studies: ethyl formate. New York, NY: Union Carbide Corporation.