Ethanol (ethyl alcohol); Evaluation of the health effects from occupational exposure

Ethanol  is a clear, colourless liquid with a pleasant characteristic odour. The odour threshold is about 95 mg/m³. Ethanol is miscible with water and organic solvents. It has a high vapour pressure.  Ethanol is currently one of the largest-volume organic chemicals utilised in industrial and consumer products, primarily as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals (ie acetaldehyde, ethylacrylate and ethylchloride) and as a solvent. In addition, ethanol is is present in alcoholic beverages.  Besides, ethanol is present endogenously in humans, which leads to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.27 (+/- 0.17) mg/l.

Committee

• GJ Mulder, chairman
  emeritus professor of toxicology, Leiden
• RB Beems
  toxicologic pathologist; National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven
• LJNGM Bloemen
  epidemiologist; Exponent Inc., Terneuzen
• PJ Boogaard
  toxicologist; SHELL International BV, The Hague
• PJ Borm
  toxicologist; Centre of Expertise in Life Sciences, Hogeschool Zuyd, Heerlen
• JJAM Brokamp, advisor
  Social and Economic Council, The Hague
• DJJ Heederik
  professor of risk assessment in occupational epidemiology; IRAS, University of Utrecht, Utrecht
• TM Pal
  occupational physician; Dutch Centre for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam
• IM Rietjens
  professor of toxicology; Wageningen University, Wageningen.
• T Smid
  occupational hygienist/epidemiologist; KLM Health Safety & Environment, Schiphol; and, professor of working conditions, Free University, Amsterdam
• GMH Swaen
  epidemiologist; Dow Chemical Company, the Netherlands
• RA Woutersen
  toxicologic pathologist; TNO Quality of Life, Zeist
• P Wulp
  occupational physician; Labour Inspectorate, Groningen
• ASAM van der Burght, scientific secretary
  Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague
• JM Rijnkels, scientific secretary
  Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague