Gamma-Butyrolactone; Health-based recommended occupational exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Dutch expert Committee on Occupational Exposure Safety (DECOS), one of the permanent committees of experts of the Health Council, proposes health-based recom­mended occupational exposure limits for chemical substances in the air in the workplace. These recommendations serve as basis in setting legally binding occupational exposure limits by the minister. In this advisory report, the commit­tee evaluates the consequences of exposure to gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and derives a health-based recommended occupational exposure limit (HBR-OEL). In a first step the toxicity of the compound is evaluated. This is done in coop­eration with the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals. The results of the evaluation, which are published in 2004, are included in part 2 of this advisory report. In the first part, the DECOS describes the most relevant data, supplied by newly presented data, and advices on an HBR-OEL. The conclusions of the DECOS are based on scientific papers published before April 2008.

Committee

• G.J. Mulder, emeritus professor of toxicology, Leiden University, Leiden, chairman
• R.B. Beems, toxicologic pathologist, formerly employed at the 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 immunotoxicology, 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
• J.M. Rijnkels, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific secretary