Materials to be Used in Setting up the MAC for Dimethyl Sulfate in the Work Environment.

Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) may induce acute lethal or nonlethal, or chronic poisonings; it is characterized by manifest irritating action, penetrates through the skin. Study on the late effects of DMS has demonstrated its embryotropic, mutagenic, and blastomatogenic action. The threshold of the mutagenic effect at the level of 0. 3 mg/m**3 should be considered as the limit value of safe exposure levels, for it is lower than the blastomatogenic action threshold. Due to high specificity of DMS action on the embryo (at any of the levels studied) it is recommended that women of child-bearing age be exposed to it as little as possible. The MAC for DMS is suggested at the level of 0. 1 mg/m**3, hazard Class I, vapor aggregate state.