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Table 45: Summary of oral reference health standards for non-threshold effects of benzene used by different international agencies
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| Jurisdiction | Acceptable risk level1 |
Guideline value2 (μg/L) |
Risk-specific dose (μg/kg bw/day) |
Cancer slope factor (per mg/kg bw/day) |
Key study3 |
Critical effects3 |
Basis of value |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand |
10–5 |
|
0.34 |
0.029 |
US EPA (1995)4 |
Not stated |
US EPA (1995)4 |
MfE (1999) |
10–5 |
|
0.34 |
0.029 |
US EPA5 |
Not stated |
US EPA5 |
MfE (1997) |
|
New Zealand drinking water |
10–5 |
10 |
0.29 |
0.035 |
WHO (2003) |
|
WHO (2003) |
MoH (2005) |
WHO drinking water |
10–5 |
10 |
0.29 |
0.035 |
Not stated |
Leukaemia, occupational inhalation exposure |
Not stated, other than that it was derived from epidemiological studies Risk estimates from a 2-year rat and mouse gavage study were also used to support risk estimations based on epidemiological studies. The range of concentrations corresponding to excess lifetime cancer risks of 10–5 based on leukaemia and lymphomas in female mice, and oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas, were 10–80 μg/L, and said to be “similar” to the value derived from epidemiological studies |
WHO (2003) |
UK |
10–5 |
|
0.29 |
0.035 |
WHO (2003) |
|
WHO Drinking water guideline |
DEFRA and EA (2003) |
US |
10–6 |
|
0.018–0.067 |
0.015–0.055 |
Rinsky et al (1981; 1987) |
Leukaemia, occupational inhalation exposure |
Route-to-route extrapolation from inhalation studies (see Table 46) assuming 50% absorption via inhalation and 100% absorption via ingestion, and inhalation of 20 m3/day by a 70-kg adult |
US EPA (2000) |
Canada |
10–5 |
|
0.032 |
0.31 |
Not stated |
Not stated |
No details provided |
|
The Netherlands –proposed6 |
10–4 |
|
3.3 |
|
Not stated |
Leukaemia, occupational inhalation exposure |
Route-to-route extrapolation from 20 μg/m3 – Table 46 |
Baars et al (2001) |
WHO air quality guideline7 |
10–5 |
|
0.24 |
0.042 |
WHO (2000) |
Leukaemia, occupational inhalation exposure |
Route-to-route extrapolation from 1.7 μg/m3 derived from inhalation studies in WHO (2000, see Table 46) assuming 50% absorption via inhalation and 100% absorption via ingestion, and inhalation of 20 m3/day by a 70-kg adult |
This report |
1 Where the acceptable risk level for a given jurisdiction is not 10–5, the risk-specific dose for a risk of 10–5 is shown in brackets.
2 Where a guideline value is provide, a risk-specific dose has been derived assuming consumption of 2 L per day by a 70-kg adult.
3 As reported in the reference cited in the reference column.
4 US EPA (1995) is stated as the source of the slope factor in the text of MfE (1999); however, the actual reference is not provided in the reference list.
5 No specific reference is given, presumably it is US EPA (1995) as per MfE (1999); however, as stated the actual reference is not provided in the reference list of this document.
6 This value is yet to be officially adopted.
7 This value is yet to be officially adopted.
