Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants
VOLUME 1
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COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY AND CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE GUIDANCE LEVELS FOR SELECTED SUBMARINE CONTAMINANTS
Members
ERNEST MCCONNELL (Chair),
ToxPath, Inc., Raleigh, NC
RAKESH DIXIT,
Johnson and Johnson, PRD, L.L.C., San Diego, CA
DAVID DORMAN,
CIIT Centers for Health Research, Research Triangle Park, NC
MAUREEN FEUSTON,
Sanofi–Synthelabo Research, Malvern, PA
JACK HARKEMA,
Michigan State University, East Lansing
HOWARD KIPEN,
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ
LOREN KOLLER,
Environmental Health & Toxicology, Corvallis, OR
JOHN O'DONOGHUE,
University of Rochester, Honeoye Falls, NY
JOYCE TSUJI,
Exponent, Inc., Bellevue, WA
ANNETTA WATSON,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
CALVIN WILLHITE,
California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley
Staff
ELLEN K. MANTUS, Project Director
MARY FOX, Program Officer
RUTH E. CROSSGROVE, Senior Editor
KELLY CLARK, Editor
JENNIFER SAUNDERS, Research Associate
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Research Associate
LAURA E. WATERS, Senior Project Assistant
ROBERT POLICELLI, Project Assistant
Sponsor
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
COMMITTEE ON TOXICOLOGY
Members
WILLIAM E. HALPERIN (Chair),
New Jersey Medical School, Newark
LAWRENCE S. BETTS,
Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
EDWARD C. BISHOP,
HDR Engineering, Inc., Omaha, NE
JAMESV. BRUCKNER,
University of Georgia, Athens
GARY P. CARLSON,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
MARION EHRICH,
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
SIDNEY GREEN,
Howard University, Washington, DC
MERYL KAROL,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
JAMES MCDOUGAL,
Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH
ROGER MCINTOSH,
Science Applications International Corporation, Baltimore, MD
GERALD WOGAN,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Staff
KULBIR S. BAKSHI, Senior Program Officer for Toxicology
EILEEN N. ABT, Senior Program Officer for Risk Analysis
ELLEN K. MANTUS, Senior Program Officer
SUSAN N. J. MARTEL, Senior Program Officer
JENNIFER SAUNDERS, Associate Program Officer
AIDA NEEL, Program Associate
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Research Associate
TAMARA DAWSON, Senior Program Assistant
RADIAH A. ROSE, Senior Editorial Assistant
BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY1
Members
JONATHAN M. SAMET (Chair),
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
RAMÓN ALVAREZ,
Environmental Defense, Austin, TX
JOHN M. BALBUS,
Environmental Defense, Washington, DC
DALLAS BURTRAW,
Resources for the Future, Washington, DC
JAMES S. BUS,
Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI
COSTEL D. DENSON,
University of Delaware, Newark
E. DONALD ELLIOTT,
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Washington, DC
MARY R. ENGLISH,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
J. PAUL GILMAN,
Oak Ridge Center for Advanced Studies, Oak Ridge, TN
SHERRI W. GOODMAN,
Center for Naval Analyses, Alexandria, VA
JUDITH A. GRAHAM,
American Chemistry Council, Arlington, VA
WILLIAM P. HORN,
Birch, Horton, Bittner and Cherot, Washington, DC
JAMES H. JOHNSON JR.,
Howard University, Washington, DC
WILLIAM M. LEWIS, JR.,
University of Colorado, Boulder
JUDITH L. MEYER,
University of Georgia, Athens
DENNIS D. MURPHY,
University of Nevada, Reno
PATRICK Y. O’BRIEN,
ChevronTexaco Energy Technology Company, Richmond, CA
DOROTHY E. PATTON (retired),
Chicago, IL
DANNY D. REIBLE,
University of Texas, Austin
JOSEPH V. RODRICKS,
ENVIRON International Corporation, Arlington, VA
ARMISTEAD G. RUSSELL,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
ROBERT F. SAWYER,
University of California, Berkeley
LISA SPEER,
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY
KIMBERLY M. THOMPSON,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
MONICA G. TURNER,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
MARK J. UTELL,
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
CHRIS G. WHIPPLE,
ENVIRON International Corporation, Emeryville, CA
LAUREN ZEISE,
California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland
Senior Staff
JAMES J. REISA, Director
DAVID J. POLICANSKY, Scholar
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Senior Program Officer for Environmental Sciences and Engineering
KULBIR BAKSHI, Senior Program Officer for Toxicology
EILEEN N. ABT, Senior Program Officer for Risk Analysis
KARL E. GUSTAVSON, Senior Program Officer
K. JOHN HOLMES, Senior Program Officer
ELLEN K. MANTUS, Senior Program Officer
SUSAN N.J. MARTEL, Senior Program Officer
SUZANNE VAN DRUNICK, Senior Program Officer
STEVEN K. GIBB, Program Officer for Strategic Communications
RUTH E. CROSSGROVE, Senior Editor
OTHER REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
Scientific Review of the Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin from the Office of Management and Budget (2007)
Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards (2006)
Assessing the Human Health Risks of Trichloroethylene: Key Scientific Issues (2006)
New Source Review for Stationary Sources of Air Pollution (2006)
Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Chemicals (2006)
Health Risks from Dioxin and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the EPA Reassessment (2006)
State and Federal Standards for Mobile-Source Emissions (2006)
Superfund and Mining Megasites—Lessons from the Coeur d’Alene River Basin (2005)
Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion (2005)
Air Quality Management in the United States (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River (2004) Atlantic Salmon in Maine (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin (2004)
Cumulative Environmental Effects of Alaska North Slope Oil and Gas Development (2003)
Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations (2002)
Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (2002)
The Airliner Cabin Environment and Health of Passengers and Crew (2002)
Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update (2001)
Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs (2001)
Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act (2001)
A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments (2001)
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals (five volumes, 2000-2006)
Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (2000)
Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000)
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2000)
Ecological Indicators for the Nation (2000)
Waste Incineration and Public Health (1999)
Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment (1999)
Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter (four volumes, 1998-2004)
The National Research Council’s Committee on Toxicology: The First 50 Years (1997)
Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet (1996)
Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest (1996)
Science and the Endangered Species Act (1995)
Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries (1995)
Biologic Markers (five volumes, 1989-1995)
Review of EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (three volumes, 1994-1995)
Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment (1994)
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993)
Dolphins and the Tuna Industry (1992)
Science and the National Parks (1992)
Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants (1991)
Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution (1991)
Decline of the Sea Turtles (1990)
Copies of these reports may be ordered from the National Academies Press
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OTHER REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON TOXICOLOGY
Review of the Department of Defense Research Program on Low-Level Exposures to Chemical Warfare Agents (2005)
Review of the Army's Technical Guides on Assessing and Managing Chemical Hazards to Deployed Personnel (2004)
Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines for Selected Contaminants (two volumes, 2004-2006)
Toxicologic Assessment of Jet-Propulsion Fuel 8 (2003)
Review of Submarine Escape Action Levels for Selected Chemicals (2002)
Standing Operating Procedures for Developing Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Hazardous Chemicals (2001)
Evaluating Chemical and Other Agent Exposures for Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity (2001)
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Contaminants (five volumes, 2000-2006)
Review of the US Navy’s Human Health Risk Assessment of the Naval Air Facility at Atsugi, Japan (2000)
Methods for Developing Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines (2000)
Review of the U.S. Navy Environmental Health Center’s Health-Hazard Assessment Process (2000)
Review of the U.S. Navy’s Exposure Standard for Manufactured Vitreous Fibers (2000)
Re-Evaluation of Drinking-Water Guidelines for Diisopropyl Methylphosphonate (2000)
Submarine Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Hydrofluorocarbons: HFC-236fa, HFC-23, and HFC-404a (2000)
Review of the U.S. Army’s Health Risk Assessments for Oral Exposure to Six Chemical-Warfare Agents (1999)
Toxicity of Military Smokes and Obscurants (three volumes, 1997-1999)
Assessment of Exposure-Response Functions for Rocket-Emission Toxicants (1998)
Toxicity of Alternatives to Chlorofluorocarbons: HFC-134a and HCFC-123 (1996)
Permissible Exposure Levels for Selected Military Fuel Vapors (1996)
Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants (four volumes, 1994-2000)
Preface
The submarine is an enclosed and isolated environment when submerged. The crew works, eats, and sleeps in this environment and is exposed to air contaminants 24 hours per day, unlike the typical occupational environment where workers have a respite from workplace exposures at the end of the workday or workweek. To protect the health of the submariners, the U.S. Navy has developed 1-hour and 24-hour emergency exposure guidance levels (EEGLs) and 90-day continuous exposure guidance levels (CEGLs) for a number of chemical contaminants.
In 1995, the Navy began reviewing and updating submarine exposure guidance levels and subsequently asked the Committee on Toxicology (COT) of the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct an independent review of several chemicals. As a result of the Navy’s request, the NRC formed the Subcommittee on Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants. This report is the first of two reports and provides the subcommittee’s rationale and recommendations for the following substances: acrolein, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrazine, methanol, monoethanolamine, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge.
The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the
following people for their review of this report: Janice Chambers, Mississippi State University; Rory Conolly, CIIT Centers for Health Research; Dan Costa, Environmental Protection Agency; Darol Dodd, ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc.; Mark Frampton, University of Rochester School of Medicine; Judith Graham, American Chemistry Council; Alan Hall, Toxicology Consulting and Medical Translating Services; and Barry L. Johnson, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Joseph Borzelleca, Virginia Commonwealth University. Appointed by the Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of the report rests entirely with the subcommittee and the institution.
The subcommittee thanks Commander Warren Jederberg for his support of this project and his assistance in obtaining necessary background materials. The subcommittee also gratefully acknowledges the following people for making presentations: Mr. Rich Hagar (Naval Sea Systems Command), Captain Victoria Cassano (Bureau of Medicine and Surgery), Mr. James Crawl (Naval Environmental Health Center), Dr. Sal DiNardi (Naval Submarine Medical Research Lab), and Dr. Robert Young (Oak Ridge National Laboratory).
In addition, the subcommittee also had the opportunity to visit a nuclear attack submarine, the USS Hartford, in dock at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, CT. The crew were extremely helpful in providing information about conditions on the submarine. The subcommittee greatly appreciated the tour and found the information useful in its deliberations.
The subcommittee is grateful for the assistance of the NRC staff in preparing this report: Ellen Mantus, project director; James Reisa, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Kulbir Bakshi, senior program officer for toxicology; Mary Fox, program officer; Jennifer Saunders and Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic, research associates; Ruth E. Crossgrove, senior editor; Kelly Clark, assistant editor;
Laura Waters and Robert Policelli, project assistants; and Sam Bardley, library assistant.
Finally, I thank the members of the subcommittee for their dedicated efforts throughout the development of this report.
Ernest McConnell, Chair
Subcommittee on Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants
BOXES
4-1 |
Adjustment for the Low-Oxygen Atmosphere, |
|||
11-1 |
Terms Related to Gas Pressures and Oxygen Physiology, |
FIGURES
1-1 |
Generalized schematic of a nuclear-powered attack submarine, |
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4-1 |
Carbon monoxide concentrations reached in blood (percent saturation at various durations of exposure) in a normal human subject as a function of inspired CO, |
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11-1 |
Hypothetical human blood oxygen dissociation curve at 37°C, pH = 7.4, |
TABLES
2-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Acrolein from NRC and Other Agencies, |
|||
2-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Acrolein, |
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3-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Carbon Dioxide, |
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3-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Carbon Dioxide from NRC and Other Agencies, |
|||
3-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Carbon Dioxide, |
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4-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Carbon Monoxide, |
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4-2 |
Human Toxicity Summary, |
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4-3 |
Animal Toxicity Summary, |
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4-4 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Carbon Monoxide from NRC and Other Agencies, |
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4-5 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Carbon Monoxide, |
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5-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Formaldehyde, |
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5-2 |
Irritant Effects of Formaldehyde in Controlled Human Studies, |
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5-3 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Formaldehyde from NRC and Other Agencies, |
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5-4 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Formaldehyde, |
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6-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Hydrazine, |
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6-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Hydrazine from NRC and Other Organizations, |
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6-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Hydrazine, |
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7-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Methanol, |
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7-2 |
Blood Methanol and Formate Concentrations Observed in Humans Following Experimental Methanol Exposures, |
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7-3 |
Experimental Parameters of Batterman et al. (1998), |
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7-4 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Methanol from NRC and Other Agencies, |
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7-5 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Methanol, |
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8-1 |
Physical and Chemical Data on Monoethanolamine, |
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8-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Monoethanolamine from NRC and Other Agencies, |
8-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Monoethanolamine, |
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9-1 |
Physical and Chemical Data on Nitric Oxide, |
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9-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Nitric Oxide from Other Agencies, |
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9-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Nitric Oxide, |
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10-1 |
Physical and Chemical Data on Nitrogen Dioxide, |
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10-2 |
Selected Inhalation Exposure Levels for Nitrogen Dioxide from NRC and Other Agencies, |
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10-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Nitrogen Dioxide, |
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11-1 |
Physical and Chemical Properties of Oxygen, |
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11-2 |
Arterial Blood Gas Values Associated with Different Altitudes, |
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11-3 |
Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Oxygen, |