Specific Chemical Hazards
Air Contaminants in the Laboratory
OSHA's Air Contaminants standard (29 CFR 1910.1000) provides rules for protecting workers from airborne exposure to more than 400 chemicals. Several of these chemicals are commonly used in laboratories and include: toluene, xylene, and acrylamide.
Toluene and xylene are solvents used to fix tissue specimens and rinse stains. They are primarily found in histology, hematology, microbiology and cytology laboratories.
Toluene
The amount of toluene that a worker breathes over a work day is determined by the concentration in the air, and the length of time the worker is in that atmosphere.
Recommendations for exposure limits have been made by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The Hazard Communication Standard requires that the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) be disclosed on a safety data sheet.
For more information on Toluene, visit the CDC Toxic Substance Portal .
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-2. OSHA's Air Contaminants standard (29 CFR 1910.1000) provides rules for protecting workers from airborne exposure to _____?
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