File:NationalResearchCoun 2009 EmergencyandContinuousExposureGuidanceLe Vol 1.pdf

Description

Description

This source is from the first volume of a National Research Council report concerning the development of Emergency Exposure Guidance Levels (EEGLs) and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels (CEGLs) for selected chemical substances of concern to the U.S. Navy. The committee's charge included identifying deficiencies in the relevant database and making recommendations for future research. Chemicals addressed in this first report volume are acrolein, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrazine, methanol, monoethanolamine, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen. The report describes the approach for deriving these guidance levels, which followed basic guidance from previous NRC reports and considered the unique confined environment of submarines. Assumptions included evaluating chemicals individually, focusing on health end points relevant to healthy young adult men (as women were not assumed to serve as permanent crew), assuming maximal exercise is not achieved, and that the submarine operates at or near 1 atmosphere pressure. It recommends that data characterizing mixtures found in submarine air be evaluated when empirical data become available. The source also provides a glossary definition for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as organic chemicals with high vapor pressure that easily form vapors at normal temperature and pressure.

Abstract

This report focuses on developing Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels (EEGLs/CEGLs) for various chemicals relevant to the U.S. Navy, specifically in the submarine environment. Chemicals addressed include acrolein, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrazine, methanol, monoethanolamine, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen. The report defines the approach for setting these levels within the unique context of submarine duty and includes a definition for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).