Benzyl alcohol

Sensitisation data (human)

Administrative data

Endpoint:

sensitisation data (humans)

Type of information:

other: Evaluation of skin sensitising properties of benzyl alcohol

Adequacy of study:

weight of evidence

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

test procedure in accordance with national standard methods

Data source

Reference

Reference 1

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

List of MAK and BAT Values 2016: Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area. Report 52

Author:

DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/German Research Foundation)

Year:

2016

Bibliographic source:

List of MAK and BAT Values 2016: Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area. Report 52, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany. doi: 10.1002/9783527805983.ch12

Reference 2

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

Benzylalcohol

Author:

DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/German Research Foundation)

Year:

2006

Bibliographic source:

MAK value documentation on benzyl alcohol; The MAK Collection for Occupational Health and Safety, Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/3527600418.mb10051d0040/pdf; only available in German)

Materials and methods

Type of sensitisation studied:

skin

Principles of method if other than guideline:

The MAK Commission within the German Research Foundation (German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area) is the institution in Germany that recommends maximum workplace values to the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, where they are usually adopted as national OELs. Detailed documentation is published for all proposed MAK values, BAT values and classifications. The evaluation of the Commission on benzyl alcohol regarding skin sensitisation is cited here.

Method

Subjects:

The MAK Commission within the German Research Foundation (German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area) is the institution in Germany that recommends maximum workplace values to the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, where they are usually adopted as national OELs. Detailed documentation is published for all proposed MAK values, BAT values and classifications. The evaluation of the Commission on benzyl alcohol regarding skin sensitisation is cited here.

Results and discussion

Results of examinations:

The main conclusions of the MAK-value documentation 2006 on the sensitisation potential of benzyl alkohol (only available in German) are summarized here:
- There are only a few case reports for occupationally caused contact-allergic reactions to benzyl alcohol.
- Epicutaneous tests with benzyl alcohol in large collectives reveal rather rarely positive reactions.
- Volunteers could not be sensitised with benzyl alcohol.
- Results of animal studies with adjuvant are not uniform. Moreover, studies with positive outcome were not conducted according to test guidelines and partly not sufficiently documented, therfore no clear conclusion can be drawn. If any a low sensitisation potential can be concluded from these data.
- Overall, allocation of benzyl alcohol to "Sh" (danger of sensitisation of the skin) seems to be not justified.

Moreover, the List of MAK and BAT Values 2016 indicated that benzyl alcohol was reviewed in 2015/2016. Still, the result of the review shown in the List of MAK and BAT Values 2016 included no allocation to "Sh".

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Executive summary:

The MAK Commission within the German Research Foundation (German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area) is the institution in Germany that recommends maximum workplace values to the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, where they are usually adopted as national OELs. Detailed documentation is published for all proposed MAK values, BAT values and classifications. The evaluation of the Commission on benzyl alcohol regarding skin sensitisation is cited here.

The main conclusions of the MAK-value documentation 2006 on the sensitisation potential of benzyl alkohol (only available in German) are summarized here:

- There are only a few case reports for occupationally caused contact-allergic reactions to benzyl alcohol.

- Epicutaneous tests with benzyl alcohol in large collectives reveal rather rarely positive reactions.

- Volunteers could not be sensitised with benzyl alcohol.

- Results of animal studies with adjuvant are not uniform. Moreover, studies with positive outcome were not conducted according to test guidelines and partly not sufficiently documented, therfore no clear conclusion can be drawn. If any a low sensitisation potential can be concluded from these data.

- Overall, allocation of benzyl alcohol to "Sh" (danger of sensitisation of the skin) seems to be not justified.

Moreover, the List of MAK and BAT Values 2016 indicated that benzyl alcohol was reviewed in 2015/2016. Still, the result of the review shown in the List of MAK and BAT Values 2016 included no allocation to "Sh".