Methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI)

CAS number: 101–68–8

NIOSH REL: 0.05 mg/m³ (0.005 ppm) TWA,

0.2 mg/m³ (0.020 ppm) 10-minute CEILING

Current OSHA PEL: 0.2 mg/m³ (0.02 ppm) CEILING

1989 OSHA PEL: Same as current PEL

1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 0.051 mg/m³ (0.005 ppm) TWA

Description of substance: White to light-yellow, odorless flakes.

LEL: . . Unknown

Original (SCP) IDLH: 100 mg/m³

Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on an analogy with toluene diisocyanate, which has an IDLH of 10 ppm. [Note: A concentration of 10 ppm methylene bisphenyl isocyanate is equivalent to about 100 mg/m³.]

Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed

ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:

Lethal concentration data:

Species	Reference	LC50	LCLo	Time	Adjusted 0.5-hr LC (CF)	Derived value
Rat	Bunge et al. 1977	369 mg/m3	-----	4 hr	738 mg/m3 (2.0)	74 mg/m3
Rat	Bunge et al. 1977	380 mg/m3	-----	4 hr	760 mg/m3 (2.0)	76 mg/m3
Rat	Woolrich 1982	178 mg/m3	-----	?	?	?

Lethal dose data:

Species	Reference	Route	LD50 (mg/kg)	LDLo (mg/kg)	Adjusted LD	Derived value
Mouse	Izmerov et al. 1982	oral	2,200	-----	15,400 mg/m3	1,540 mg/m3
Rat	Woolrich 1982	oral	-----	31,690	221,830 mg/m3	22,183 mg/m3

Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.

Revised IDLH: 75 mg/m3 Basis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for methylene bisphenyl isocyanate is 75 mg/m3 based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Bunge et al. 1977].

REFERENCES:

1. Bunge W, Ehrlicher H, Kimmerle G [1977]. Medical aspects of work with surface coating systems using the spraying technique. Zentralbl Arbeitsmed Arbeitsschutz Prophylaxe 4(spec. ed.):1-46 (in German). [From ACGIH [1991]. Methylene bisphenyl isocyanate. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 978-980.]

2. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 63.

3. Woolrich PF [1982]. Industrial hygiene and medical control of TDI, MDI and PMPPI. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 43(2):89-97.