CALCULATION OF A SAFETY FACTOR IN SETTING HEALTH BASED PERMISSIBLE LEVELS FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE .2. COMPARISON OF EXTRAPOLATED AND PUBLISHED PERMISSIBLE LEVELS

The proposed procedure for extrapolation from animal data to permissible levels for occupational exposure has been put to the test for 11 compounds. The proposed procedure does not seem to offer less protection than the published permissible levels, which to a large extent were also based upon human data. In about half the cases the extrapolated levels offer even more protection than the levels established in Western countries. The proposed procedure may be regarded as a useful tool in evaluation of health risk in occupational exposure, in the case that new non-carcinogenic agents are introduced in industry, particularly if more adequate animal toxicity data come available. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.