Explanations on the GESTIS DNEL List

For exposure assessment the GESTIS DNEL List provides parties involved in OSH within companies and at OSH institutions and authorities with a readily accessible collection of DNELs (derived no-effect levels) relevant to workplaces. Since the national occupational exposure limits legally binding in EU Member States are considerably fewer in number than the DNELs already available, the latter could serve as important assessment metrics for evaluation of the exposure. This is also reflected in provisions of individual Member States concerning risk assessment.

Where they exist at all, the DNELs reported by manufacturers and importers are not immediately visible, being located on the website of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in the registration entry for the substance concerned in the sub-chapter headed "Toxicological information". The GESTIS DNEL List of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) aims to simplify searches for these DNELs.

The GESTIS DNEL List is an Excel table (XLSX, 760 kB) listing substance names, CAS numbers and the workplace DNEL for inhalative long-term exposure. The link in the last column of the table points to the substance data sheet in the GESTIS database if any.

Procedure for compilation of the data

The DNELs for workers subject to long-term inhalative exposure were taken from the registration entries on the ECHA website. These values are reproduced in the GESTIS DNEL List, broken down by systemic and local effect and for the most part uncommented. It is possible that several differing DNELs of the same type may be found for a single substance. In this case, all the values are stated in the list.

The values have not been reviewed scientifically for their validity. Owing to the large volume of data, transcription errors cannot be ruled out.

Substances for which German occupational exposure limits (AGW) exist

DNELs are also listed for substances for which a binding German occupational exposure limit (AGW) exists. In these cases, attention is drawn in the GESTIS DNEL List that a AGW is published in the Technical Rules on Hazardous Substances (TRGS) 900.

Carcinogenic substances

Where identifiable as such, DMEL values (derived minimum effect levels) have not been incorporated into the list.

The following substances are regarded as carcinogenic:

• Substances with the classification H350 or H350i in Annex VI of Regulation (EC) 1272/2008
• Substances classified by the manufacturer (registration data) as H350 or H350i
• Substances classified as Category 1A or 1B carcinogens in the German index of carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances (TRGS 905)