Toxicidad


Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs)
Public Exposure Guidelines
AEGLs
ERPGs
TEELs
PACs
ERPGs are exposure guidelines designed to anticipate health effects from exposure to certain airborne chemical concentrations.
This page discusses the following topics:
What are ERPGs?
How are ERPGs chosen?
What substances have ERPGs?
How should ERPGs be used?
How does ALOHA useERPGs?
What are ERPGs? • top

ERPGs estimate the concentrations at which most people will begin to experience health effects if they are exposed to a hazardous airborne chemical for 1 hour. (Sensitive members of the public—such as old, sick, or very young people—aren't covered by these guidelines and they may experience adverse effects at concentrations below the ERPG values.) A chemical may haveup to three ERPG values, each of which corresponds to a specific tier of health effects.
The three ERPG tiers are defined as follows:
ERPG-3 is the maximum airborne concentration below which it is believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up to 1 hour without experiencing or developing life-threatening health effects.
ERPG-2 is the maximum airborne concentration below which itis believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up to 1 hour without experiencing or developing irreversible or other serious health effects or symptoms which could impair an individual's ability to take protective action.
ERPG-1 is the maximum airborne concentration below which it is believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up to 1 hour without experiencing otherthan mild transient health effects or perceiving a clearly defined, objectionable odor.
How are ERPGs chosen? • top
ERPGs are developed by the Emergency Response Planning committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. The ERPG guidelines are clearly defined and based on extensive, current data. The rationale for selecting each value is explained, and other pertinent information is alsoprovided. Each guideline identifies the substance, its chemical and structural properties, animal toxicology data, human experience, existing exposure guidelines, the rationale behind the selected value, and a list of references. To find out more about the ERPG development process, go to the ERPG Program website.
What substances have ERPGs? • top
As of mid-2013, about 145 chemicals have ERPGs(see the current list of substances that have ERPGs [PDF, 487 KB]). You can also search for a specific substance on the CAMEO Chemicals site to find response recommendations and chemical data (including ERPGs).
How should ERPGs be used? • top
ERPGs should be used to help protect the public when AEGLs aren't available and there has been a chemical release that is short-term in duration. ERPGsestimate how nearly all of the public (except for sensitive individuals) would react to a release of this nature, so they can be used to identify areas where a hazard exists if the concentration of hazardous gas is exceeded for the specified exposure duration. For example, in areas with concentrations just above the ERPG-1, most people would experience temporary, non-disabling effects. On the otherhand, in areas with concentrations just above the ERPG-2, most people would experience significant—but not life-threatening—health effects.
These guidelines are focused on one period of time: 1 hour. Exposure in the field may be longer or shorter. However, the American Industrial Hygiene Association strongly advises against trying to extrapolate ERPG values to longer periods of time.
ERPGs shouldn'tbe used as:
Guidelines for workers who are routinely exposed to chemicals for longer durations. In such cases, you should use workplace exposure limits, because they contain safety factors specific to that type of exposure.
Guidelines for members of the public who are exposed to background chemical releases for longer durations. In these types of air quality issues, values such as the...