Application of a framework for the selection of an appropriate occupational exposure limit for manganese.
Occupational exposure limits (OELs) serve as benchmarks for the interpretation of workplace exposures within a health risk context. Different organizations derive OELs for many chemicals, including manganese. OELs recommended by different organizations can vary quantitatively, which can present a challenge to occupational hygienists or other risk managers that need to select a value for decision-making purposes. In this article, we illustrate the application of a previously-developed OEL selection framework to demonstrate the decisions that would be required to select the most appropriate OEL for various manganese exposure scenarios. The framework helped to identify the need to focus an evaluation on three quantitatively similar values-the ACGIH TLV, SCOEL IOELV, and DFG MAK. These values were compared with regulatory standards and considered for their relevance and reliability. The OEL selection framework was a useful tool in guiding the selection process for manganese OELs.
McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada. Electronic address: michelle.deveau@uottawa.ca.
Michelle
M
Deveau
Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267-0056, United States.
Andrew
A
Maier
McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Daniel
D
Krewski
D006801:Humans; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D016272:Occupational Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020711:Threshold Limit Values
D008345:Manganese
Manganese; Occupational exposure limit; Occupational hygiene; Selection framework; Threshold limit value