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Title: Toxicity Data to Determine Refrigerant Concentration Limits

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/765951· OSTI ID:765951

This report reviews toxicity data, identifies sources for them, and presents resulting exposure limits for refrigerants for consideration by qualified parties in developing safety guides, standards, codes, and regulations. It outlines a method to calculate an acute toxicity exposure limit (ATEL) and from it a recommended refrigerant concentration limit (RCL) for emergency exposures. The report focuses on acute toxicity with particular attention to lethality, cardiac sensitization, anesthetic and central nervous system effects, and other escape-impairing effects. It addresses R-11, R-12, R-22, R-23, R-113, R-114, R-116, R-123, R-124, R-125, R-134, R-134a, R-E134, R-141b, R-142b, R-143a, R-152a, R-218, R-227ea, R-236fa, R-245ca, R-245fa, R-290, R-500, R-502, R-600a, R-717, and R-744. It summarizes additional data for R-14, R-115, R-170 (ethane), R-C318, R-600 (n-butane), and R-1270 (propylene) to enable calculation of limits for blends incorporating them. The report summarizes the data a nd related safety information, including classifications and flammability data. It also presents a series of tables with proposed ATEL and RCL concentrations-in dimensionless form and the latter also in both metric (SI) and inch-pound (IP) units of measure-for both the cited refrigerants and 66 zerotropic and azeotropic blends. They include common refrigerants, such as R-404A, R-407C, R-410A, and R-507A, as well as others in commercial or developmental status. Appendices provide profiles for the cited single-compound refrigerants and for R-500 and R-502 as well as narrative toxicity summaries for common refrigerants. The report includes an extensive set of references.

Research Organization:
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute, Arlington, VA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-91CE23810
OSTI ID:
765951
Report Number(s):
DOE/CE/23810-110; R&D Project: Materials Compatibility and Lubricant Research (MCLR) Program; JMC/ARTI-0009A; RDBA950; TRN: US200310%%179
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 30 Sep 2000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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