Summary
A diffusive sampling method with water as absorbent was examined in comparison with 3 conventional methods of diffusive sampling with carbon cloth as absorbent, pumping through National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) charcoal tubes, and pumping through NIOSH silica gel tubes to measure time-weighted average concentration of dimethylformamide (DMF). DMF vapors of constant concentrations at 3–110 ppm were generated by bubbling air at constant velocities through liquid DMF followed by dilution with fresh air. Both types of diffusive samplers could either absorb or adsorb DMF in proportion to time (0.25–8 h) and concentration (3–58 ppm), except that the DMF adsorbed was below the measurable amount when carbon cloth samplers were exposed at 3 ppm for less than 1 h. When both diffusive samplers were loaded with DMF and kept in fresh air, the DMF in water samplers stayed unchanged for at least for 12 h. The DMF in carbon cloth samplers showed a decay with a half-time of 14.3 h. When the carbon cloth was taken out immediately after termination of DMF exposure, wrapped in aluminum foil, and kept refrigerated, however, there was no measurable decrease in DMF for at least 3 weeks. When the air was drawn at 0.2 l/min, a breakthrough of the silica gel tube took place at about 4 000 ppm · min (as the lower 95% confidence limit), whereas charcoal tubes could tolerate even heavier exposures, suggesting that both tubes are fit to measure the 8-h time-weighted average of DMF at 10 ppm.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (1990) The 1990–1991 threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. ACGIH, Cinicinnati
Ashida T, Koike S, Ohmori K (1985) Determination ofN,N-dimethylformamide in air using silica gel tube (in Japanese) Jpn J Ind Health 27:338–339
Becci PJ, Voss KA, Johnson WD, Gallo MA, Babish JG (1983) Subchronic feeding study ofN, N-dimethylformamide in rats and mice. J Am Coll Toxicol 2:371–378
Cai S-X, Huang M-Y, Xi L-Q, Li Y-L, Qu J-B, Kawai T, Yasugi T, Mizunuma K, Watanabe T, Ikeda M (1992) Occupational dimethylformamide exposure: 3. Health effects of dimethylformamide after occupational exposure at low concentrations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health (in press)
Catenacci G, Ghittori S, Cottica D, Prestinoni A, Capodaglio E (1980) Occupational exposure to dimethlyformamide and urinary excretion of monomethylformamide. G Ital Med Lav 2:53–57
Craig DR, Weir RJ, Wagner W, Groth D (1984) Subchronic inhalation toxicity of dimethylformamide in rats and mice. Drug Chem Toxicol 7:551–571
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (1991) Maximum concentrations at workplace and biological tolerance values for working materials 1991. VCM, Weinheim
Fleming LE, Shalat SL, Redlich CA (1990) Liver injury in workers exposed to dimethylformamide. Scand J Work Environ Health 16:289–292
Hirayama T, Ikeda M (1979) Applicability of activated carbon felt to the dosimetry of solvent vapor mixture. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 40:1091–1096
Ikeda M, Okuno T (1988) Analytical techniques. In: Aksoy M (ed) Benzene carcinogenicity. CRC Press, Boca Raton pp 3–22
Japan Association of Industrial Health (1990) Recommendation for occupational exposure limits (in Japanese) Jpn J Ind Health 33:277–298
Kasahara M, Ikeda M (1987) Spontaneous desorption of organic solvents from carbon cloth. Ind Health 25:73–81
Kawai T, Yasugi T, Mizunuma K, Watanabe T, Cai S-X, Huang M-Y, Xi L-Q, Qu J-B, Yao B-Z, Ikeda M (1992) Occuaptional dimethylformamide exposure: 2. Monomethylformamide excretion in urine after occupational dimethylformamide exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health (in press)
Koizumi A, Ikeda M (1981) A servomechanism for vapor concentration control in experimental exposure chambers. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 42:417–425
Lauwerys RR, Kivits A, Lhoir M, Rigolet P, Houbeau D, Buchet JP, Roels HA (1980) Biological surveillance of workers exposed to dimethylformamide and the influence of skin protection on its percutaneous absorption. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 45:189–203
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (1985) The 1985 supplement to NIOSH manual of analytical methods, 3rd edn. NIOSH publication no. 84-100, p 2004-1 to 2004-4
Redlich CA, Beckett WS, Sparer J, Barwick KW, Riely CA, Miller H, Sigal SL, Shalat SL, Cullen MR (1988) Liver disease associated with occupational exposure to the solvent dimethylformamide. Ann Intern Med 108:680–686
Redlich CA, West AB, Fleming L, True LD, Cullen MR, Riely CA (1990) Clinical and pathological characteristics of hepatotoxicity associated with occupational exposure to dimethylformamide. Gastroenterology 99:748–757
Study Group on Environmental Chemicals (ed) (1988) Handbook on environmental chemicals. Maruzen, Tokyo, pp 246–248
Takada S, Shinoda T, Ohtsuki T, Miyasaka M, Koizumi A, Ikeda M (1983) Comparison between personal and stationary sampling results: a field survey in a printing factory. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 31:424–427
Tanaka K (1971) Toxicity of dimethylformamide in the young female rat. Int Arch Arbeitsmed 28:95–105
Uchida Y, Kawai T, Yasugi T, Ikeda M (1990) Personal monitoring sampler for acetone vapor exposure. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 44:900–904
Ukai H, Takada S, Inui S, Ikeda M (1986) Relationship between exposure and environmental concentrations in organic solvent workpalces. Tohoku J Exp Med 149:251–260
Windholz M, Budavari S, Stroumtsos LY, Fertig MN (eds) (1976) The Merck Index, 9th edn. Merck, Rahway, p 431
Yonemoto J, Suzuki S (1980) Relation of exposure to dimethylformamide vapour and the metabolite,N-methylformamide, in urine of workers. Int Ach Occup Environ Health 46:159–165
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yasugi, T., Kawai, T., Mizunuma, K. et al. Occupational dimethylformamide exposure. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 63, 449–453 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572110
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572110