Glutaraldehyde; Health-based recommended occupational exposure limit

At the request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands sets Health-Based Recommended Occupational Exposure Limits (HBR-OELs) for chemical substances in air at the workplace. These recommendations are made by the Council’s Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards (DECOS). They constitute the first step in a three-step procedure that leads to legally binding occupational exposure limits.
 In this report the committee discusses the consequences of occupational exposure to glutaraldehyde and recommends a health-based occupational exposure limit. In 1997, the Nordic Expert Group (NEG) published an evaluation of the harmful health effects of glutaraldehyde. This evaluation is included in part 2 of this document. In part 1, a brief summary of relevant effects is given and additional data are described. DECOS assessment of the HBROEL is based on all presented data in part 1 and 2. The committee’s conclusions are based on scientific publications prior to February 2004.