Diethylene glycol; Health-based recommended occupational exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands recommends health-based occupational exposure limits for the concentration of toxic substances in the air in the workplace. These recommendations are made by the Council’s Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards (DECOS).
In this report, the committee discusses the consequences of occupational exposure to diethylene glycol and recommends a health-based occupational exposure limit. The committee’s conclusions are made on scientific papers published before September 2006.

Committee

• G.J. Mulder, emeritus professor of toxicology; Leiden University, Leiden, chairman
• R.B. Beems, toxicologic pathologist; National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• P.J. Boogaard, toxicologist; Shell International BV, The Hague
• J.J.A.M. Brokamp, Social and Economic Council, The Hague, advisor
• D.J.J. Heederik, professor of risk assessment in occupational epidemiology; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht
• L.A.L.M. Kiemeney, professor of cancer epidemiology, University Medical Centre St Radboud, Nijmegen
• H. van Loveren, professor of immunotoxocology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• T.M. Pal, occupational physician; Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam
• A.H. Piersma, professor of reproductive toxicology; National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• H.P.J. te Riele, professor of molecular biology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• I.M.C.M. Rietjens, professor of toxicology; Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen
• H. Roelfzema, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague, advisor
• T. Smid, occupational hygienist - epidemiologist; KLM Health Services, Schiphol, and professor of working conditions, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• G.M.H. Swaen, epidemiologist; Dow Benelux N.V., Terneuzen
• R.A. Woutersen, toxicologic pathologist; TNO Quality of Life, Zeist
• P.B. Wulp, occupational physician; Labour Inspectorate, Groningen
• E.J.M. Pennings, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific secretary