Evaluation of risk assessment guideline levels for the chemical warfare agents mustard, GB, and VX.
The U.S. Army has estimated acute lethality guideline levels for inhalation of the chemical warfare agents mustard, GB, and VX. These levels are expressed as dosages measured in milligram-minutes per cubic meter (mg-min/m(3)). The National Advisory Council has also proposed acute emergency guideline levels (AEGLs) for the agents. The AEGLs are threshold exposure limits for the general public for mild effects, serious adverse effects, and lethality. They are expressed as air concentrations (in units of mg/m(3)) and are applicable to emergency exposure periods ranging from 10 min to 8 h. The report discusses strengths and deficiencies in the levels, important parameters (i.e., exposure time, breathing rate) that need to be explicitly addressed in deriving the guideline levels, and possible impacts that could result from using AEGLs instead of guideline dosages in future assessments.
Environmental Assessment Division, Argonne National Library, Illinois 60439, USA.
Heidi M
HM
Hartmann
D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000592:standards; D012524:Sarin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards
D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009151:Mustard Gas; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds; D012524:Sarin; C009680:VX-agent