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. 2014 Jun 18;11(6):6354–6374. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110606354

Table 2.

Occupational exposure limits and air quality guideline values for exposure to benzene, toluene and xylene.

Standards and Guidelines Regulatory Body Description Benzene (µg/m3) Toluene (µg/m3) Xylenes (µg/m3)
Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), USA Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) 1600 75,000 435,000
Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) 8000 Not available 655,000
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), USA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) 3250 750,000 435,000
Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) 16,250 Not available 655,000
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), USA Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) 325 375,000 435,000
Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) 3250 560,000 65,500
South African Occupational Health and Safety (SAOHS), South Africa Occupational Exposure limit (OEL) 1600 175,000 435,000
European Directives 2000/39/EC and 97/42/EC (ED), European Union Limit Value (LV) for occupational exposure 3250 Not available Not available
Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) World Health Organisation (WHO), Global 1week (toluene) Not available 260
24h (xylene) 480
European Union Directives 2000/69/EC, European Union Annual mean 5 Not available Not available
Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS), UK Annual mean 16.25 Not available Not available
Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objective (AAAQO), Government of Alberta, Canada 1h (benzene) 30
24h (toluene; xylene) 400 700
HHS Vulnerability Disclosure