U.S. Navy personnel who work on submarines are in an enclosed and isolated environment for days or weeks at a time when at sea. Unlike a typical work environment, they are potentially exposed to air contaminants 24 hours a day. To protect workers from potential adverse health effects due to those conditions, the U.S. Navy has established exposure guidance levels for a number of contaminants. The Navy asked a subcommittee of the National Research Council (NRC) to review, and develop when necessary, exposure guidance levels for specific contaminants.

This volume, the third in a series, recommends 1-hour and 24-hour emergency exposure guidance levels (EEGLs) and 90-day continuous exposure guidance levels (CEGLs) for acetaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, and propylene glycol dinitrate.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY AND CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE GUIDANCE LEVELS FOR SELECTED SUBMARINE CONTAMINANTS
• COMMITTEE ON TOXICOLOGY
• BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
• OTHER REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
• OTHER REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON TOXICOLOGY
• Preface
• Summary
  • THE COMMITTEE AND ITS CHARGE
  • APPROACH TO STUDY
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS
• 1. Introduction
  • THE COMMITTEE’S CHARGE
  • POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
  • THE SUBMARINE ENVIRONMENT
  • THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH TO ITS CHARGE
  • ORGANIZATION OF REPORT
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Acetaldehyde
  • PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • OCCURRENCE AND USE
  • SUMMARY OF TOXICITY
  • TOXICOKINETIC AND MECHANISTIC CONSIDERATIONS
  • INHALATION EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT
  • DATA ADEQUACY AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Hydrogen Chloride
  • PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • OCCURRENCE AND USE
  • SUMMARY OF TOXICITY
  • TOXICOKINETIC AND MECHANISTIC CONSIDERATIONS
  • INHALATION EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • DATA ADEQUACY AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Hydrogen Fluoride
  • PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • OCCURRENCE AND USE
  • SUMMARY OF TOXICITY
  • TOXICOKINETIC AND MECHANISTIC CONSIDERATIONS
  • INHALATION EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • DATA ADEQUACY AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Hydrogen Sulfide
  • PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • OCCURRENCE AND USE
  • SUMMARY OF TOXICITY
  • TOXICOKINETIC AND MECHANISTIC CONSIDERATIONS
  • INHALATION EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • DATA ADEQUACY AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Propylene Glycol Dinitrate
  • PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
  • OCCURRENCE AND USE
  • SUMMARY OF TOXICITY
  • TOXICOKINETIC AND MECHANISTIC CONSIDERATIONS
  • INHALATION EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
  • COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
  • DATA ADEQUACY AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• Appendix A Biographic Information on the Committee on Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants
• Appendix B Statement of Task
• Glossary

This project was supported by Contract W81K04-06-D-0023 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Defense. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.