ABSTRACT
Contamination/Exposure Limits: Th e various occupational exposure limits found on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are based primarily on time-weighted average limits, ceiling values, or ceiling concentration limits to which a worker can be exposed without adverse eff ects. However, the exposure limits that follow were designed to provide worker safety in industrial and/or occupational situations. It is admittedly diffi cult to determine how such values should be applied in chemical or biological agents or weapons alarms for emergency fi rst responders. Such measures that follow were designed for a healthy adult working population; thus, their utility is limited when dealing with incidents that involve biological and chemical weapons, mass casualty alarms, and other training scenarios that were designed subsequent to September 11, 2001. Th e following values that are explained below should be used as benchmarks for determining relative toxicity, and possibly to aid in selecting appropriate level of chemical protective clothing and equipment.
