New observations on occupational exposure limits for sulfuric acid

Introduction Sulfuric acid was first assessed to be carcinogenic in 1997 in a report of the World Health organization WHO (IARC). Based on this report, the Senate committee dealing with the control of harmful substances in the workplace submitted the first proposal justifying a lower occupational exposure limit [2].This proposal contained a list of many individual studies. In the investigations which were part of the survey, golden hamsters, for example, were exposed to concentrated sulfuric acid mist produced by ultrasonic spraying at a concentration of more than 200 mg per m3 of breathable air. Only irritation of the mucous membranes was diagnosed. Only one group of workers in a single company that works with concentrated sulfuric acid has been statistically screened for symptoms of disease. Strict scientific evidence to justify new standards cannot be derived from this case. Essentially, the studies were based only on experimentation with concentrated sulfuric acid or sulfuric acid enriched with SO3, so-called oleum.