ACGIH Adopts TLVs for Chemicals Including Fluorine and Indium Tin Oxide

On Jan. 31, ACGIH announced that its board had ratified the 2019 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices, or BEIs. ACGIH has adopted TLVs for several chemicals, including fluorine, indium tin oxide, and propylene glycol ethyl ether. The organization adopted BEIs for ethylene oxide, N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, and n-Hexane.

The ACGIH Board of Directors also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Changes list. The NIC list indicates substances and agents for which a limit or BEI is proposed for the first time. Also included on the NIC list are substances and agents whose TLV or BEI may be changed or withdrawn. The 2019 NIC list includes acrylamide, antimony trioxide, styrene, and whole-body vibration.

TLVs and BEIs are health-based values derived from ACGIH’s conclusions of the exposure levels that typical workers can experience without adverse health effects. According to ACGIH, BEIs are guidance values for evaluating biological monitoring results. More information about TLVs and BEIs is available on ACGIH’s website.