Dimethyl sulfoxide

MAK Value Documentation, addendum – Translation of the German version from 2017

  Andrea Hartwig¹ (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  MAK Commission<sup>2

1</sup> Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Geb. 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
² Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany

Abstract

The German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has evaluated the possibility to add the indication “Prerequisite for Pregnancy Risk Group C” to the classification of Pregnancy Risk Group B for dimethyl sulfoxide [67‐68‐5] at the maximum concentration at the workplace (MAK value) of 50 ml/m³. The lowest NOAEL for developmental toxicity in rabbits is 300 mg/kg body weight/day, which after toxicokinetic scaling corresponds to a concentration of 268 ml/m³ at the workplace. Liquid dimethyl sulfoxide penetrates the skin at the same rate as dimethylformamide. In addition to the amount taken up via the lung, it has to be assumed that the same amount of dimethyl sulfoxide is taken up via the skin from the gas phase as was shown with dimethylformamide in volunteers. Therefore, damage to the embryo or foetus is unlikely at the concentration of 12 l/m³ and less. An exposure to this concentration would be the prerequisite for an assignment to Pregnancy Risk Group C.

---