Page 40 - Occupational Health & Safety, February 2017

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
NIOSH Proposes RELs for Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione
The agency recommends a recommended exposure limit of 5 ppb for diacetyl as a time-weighted average for up to 8 hours/day during a 40-hour work week and a short-term exposure limit of 25 parts per billion for a 15-minute time period.
BY JERRY LAWS
NIOSH recently published recommended ex- posure limits for diacetyl and 2,3-pentane- dione, which are widely used food flavoring compounds that have been linked to de-
creased lung function in exposed workers. The RELs were published Oct. 31, 2016, in a document titled Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione.
“Flavorings used in food products are often com- plex mixtures of natural and manmade compounds. While considered safe to eat, these compounds might still be harmful to breathe in the forms and amounts to which workers in the food and chemical industries may be exposed,” according to the agency. “To pro- tect workers, NIOSH recommends a REL of 5 ppb
for diacetyl as a time-weighted average (TWA) for up to 8 hours/day during a 40-hour work week. To fur- ther protect against effects of short-term exposures, NIOSH recommends a short-term exposure limit for diacetyl of 25 parts per billion for a 15-minute time period. Additionally, NIOSH recommends keeping exposure to 2,3-pentanedione below 9.3 ppb as an 8-hour TWA during a 40-hour work week.” The REL is slightly higher than the REL for diacetyl due to ana- lytical method limitations, according to the agency, which also recommended a short-term exposure lim- it (STEL) for 2,3-pentanedione of 31 parts per billion during a 15-minute period based on a concern that peak exposures may have increased toxicity than the same total dose spread out for a longer period of time.
36 Occupational Health & Safety | FEBRUARY 2017
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