Addendum to Methyl bromide
Assessment Values in Biological Material – Translation of the German version from 2016
Ernst Hallier1Michael Müller1
Hans Drexler2 (Head of the working group “Assessment Values in Biological Material” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Andrea Hartwig3 (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
MAK Commission4
1 Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37 B, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
2 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Schillerstraße 25 and 29, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
3 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
4 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 re‐evaluated the BLW (“Biologischer Leitwert”) for methyl bromide, using bromide in serum/plasma to characterise the internal exposure. The critical effect of methyl bromide is a high acute and chronic neurotoxicity. It can pass through the skin so that biological monitoring is highly recommended.
On the basis of results of a human study the occurrence of abnormal findings in the EEG is comparable for unexposed persons and persons with exposure to methyl bromide in concentrations below 12 mg bromide/l plasma. Thus the BLW of 12 mg bromide/l plasma or serum was confirmed. The sampling time for long‐term exposure is at the end of exposure/shift after several previous shifts.
The evaluation of an EKA for methyl bromide in the air and S‐methylcysteine‐albumin adducts in blood is not possible as there is insufficient data available.
