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Table 2 Exposure limits/guidelines

From: Nicotine, aerosol particles, carbonyls and volatile organic compounds in tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes

Agency

Averaging time

PM2.5

Nicotineb

Acetaldehyde

Acetone

Ethanol

Acetonitrile

Isopropyl alcohol

Benzene

Toluene

Reference

OSHA PEL†

8-h

15 mg/m3,a

0.5 mg/m3

200 ppm (360 mg/m3)

1000 ppm (2400 mg/m3)

1000 ppm (1900 mg/m3)

40 ppm (70 mg/m3)

400 ppm (980 mg/m3)

1 ppm

200 ppm

OSHA 2016 [41]

OSHA STEL†

15-min

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

5 ppm

NA

OSHA 2016 [41]

NIOSH REL†

Up to 10-h

NA

0.5 mg/m3

NA

250 ppm (590 mg/m3)

1000 ppm (1900 mg/m3)

20 ppm (34 mg/m3)

400 ppm (980 mg/m3)

0.1 ppm (0.32 mg/m3)

100 ppm (375 mg/m3)

NIOSH 2016 [42]

NIOSH STEL†

15-min

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

500 ppm (1225 mg/m3)

1 ppm

150 ppm

NIOSH 2016 [42]

ACGIH TLV†

8-h

10 mg/m3

0.5 mg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

0.5 ppm

NA

ACGIH 2016 [43]

ACGIH STEL†

15-min

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

2.5 ppm

NA

ACGIH 2016 [43]

U.S. EPA NAAQS‡

Annual mean

12 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NAAQS 2012 [44]

24-h

35 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NAAQS 2012 [44]

WHO AQG‡

Annual mean

10 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

WHO 2005 [45]

24-h

25 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

WHO 2005 [45]

EU Air Quality Directive‡

Annual mean

25 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

5 μg/m3

NA

EU 2008 [46]

EU AEI‡

3-year mean

20 μg/m3

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

EEA 2015 [47]

  1. Abbreviations: NA not available, PEL permissible exposure limit, REL recommended exposure limit, TLV threshold limit value, STEL short-term exposure limit, ppm parts per million, OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration, NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, ACGIH, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, EPA Environmental Protection Agency, NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards, WHO World Health Organization, AQG Air Quality Guideline, AEI Average Exposure Indicator
  2. †Occupational exposure limits
  3. ‡Ambient air quality standards
  4. aFor particulates not otherwise regulated (total dust)
  5. bNoted for skin absorption