[Indoor air guide values for dimethylbenzene: Communication from the Committee on Indoor air guide values].
The German Committee on Indoor Guidelines is issuing indoor air guide values to protect public health. No sufficiently valid human studies are available for the health evaluation of xylenes in indoor air. In a validated subchronic inhalation animal study on m-xylene using male rats, neurotoxic effects were observed, which led to an decreased neuromuscular coordination as observed in a rotarod test. Conversion of experimental to continuous exposure leads to a LOAEC of 39 mg xylene/m(3) for the endpoint neurotoxicity. A health hazard guide value (RW II) of 0.8 mg xylene/m(3) is derived by applying an interspecies factor of 2.5, a factor of 10 for interindividual variability, and a factor of 2 to account for the higher respiratory rate of children compared to adults. A health precaution guide value of 0.1 mg xylene/m(3) is recommended.
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005858:Germany; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D014992:Xylenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*
D014992:Xylenes
Dimethylbenzene; Guide value; Indoor air; Neurotoxicity; Xylene