Richtwerte für 2-Ethylhexanol in der Innenraumluft

Abstract

The German Ad-hoc Working Group on Indoor Guidelines of the Indoor Air Hygiene Committee and of the Supreme State Health Authorities is issuing indoor air guide values to protect public health. 2-Ethylhexan-1-ol (EH) is used amongst others as an intermediate in the production of plasticisers or as a flavouring agent in food, cosmetics and cleaning agents. EH is detectable in nearly all indoor air samples. Indoor air concentrations in Germany were reported to be in the range of 0.002 to 0.006 mg/m3 (median), the 95-percentiles were in the range of 0.009 to 0.03 mg/m3. Toxicity after acute exposure to EH is low. EH is irritating to skin and eyes after direct contact. Acute exposure of humans to 54 mg EH/m3 caused sensory irritation (NOAEC 8 mg EH/m3). In a subchronic inhalation study in rats, neither local nor systemic effects were detectable up to the highest concentration tested (638 mg/m3). EH is not genotoxic and not carcinogenic in rats and male mice after oral application. There is no evidence that EH impairs fertility. Developmental toxicity was only observed at doses, which already caused maternal toxicity (650 mg/kg bw/d). Sensory irritation is the most relevant effect for the derivation of indoor air guide values. Based on a LOAEC of 54 mg/m3 and a NOAEC of 8 mg/m3 in a short time (4 h) inhalation study with volunteers, and applying an intraspecies extrapolation factor of 10 and a factor of 6 for time extrapolation, a preliminary hazard-based guide value of 1 mg EH/m3 and a preliminary precautionary value of 0.1 mg EH/m3 have been derived.