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November 25, 2024

According to Decree 280-2024 published on February 28, 2024, in the Gazette officielle du Québec, the amendment to the Appendix 1 of the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST, RLRQ, c. S-2.1, r. 13) will come into force on March 14, 2024. These regulatory changes have not yet been incorporated into the current Substance Data Sheets of the Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace. An update is currently underway and will be available as soon as possible. Consequently, the information contained in the data sheets of substances modified or added in Decree 280-2024 is partially inaccurate or incomplete. Please consult our infoLABO (in French only) for more details. Please contact our client service: [email protected] for further information.

Ethyl alcohol  

French name in the regulation: Alcool éthylique
CAS : 64-17-5
Synonyms: Ethyl hydrate; Éthanol

Exposure Standards in RROHS regulation

Permissible exposure values (PEV)
ppm mg/m3 f/cc Notes
TWAEV - - - -
STEV 1000 1880* - -
Ceiling - - - -
Carcinogenicity C3 Sensitizer
Simple asphyxiantPercutaneous
Prohibited useProhibited recirculation
Minimum exposureExplosion hazard
Ototoxic

TWA adjustment for unusual work schedules

1B : No adjustment

CNESST – Toxicological Index Service

Consult REPTOX file: Ethyl alcohol

Analysis:

Alcool éthylique

Method: IRSST - 91-2

Sampling protocol

Sampling device:
Sampling media required:
#IRSSTDescription
2120 Activated charcoal tube 100/50 mg

Parameters:
Flow rate: Max: 0.05 L/min
TWA sampling volume: -
STEL sampling volume: 1 L

Principle: Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)
Precision (%): 10,9
Minimum reported value: 95 µg
Remarks: The analysis can be done by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS, IRSST method #369); in this case the analytical uncertainty (CVa) is 12.5%.

IRSST. "Analyse de l'éthanol dans l'air". Méthode 91-2. Méthodes analytiques. Montréal: IRSST, 1986.

Ethyl alcohol

Method: IRSST - 415

Sampling protocol

Sampling device:
Sampling media required:
#IRSSTDescription
2197 Anasorb 747 tubes (2) 400/200 mg in series

Parameters:
Flow rate: 0.05 L/min
TWA sampling volume: -
STEL sampling volume: 0,75 L
Remarks: At the end of sampling, the front tube must be separated from the back tube to avoid migration. Reseal each end of the tubes. Additional information is also available in french in "consigne d'utilisation I-MAT-039". Ethyl alcohol must be sampled specifically because of the sampling device used.

Principle: Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)
Precision (%): 0,8
Minimum reported value: 30 µg
Remarks: However, simultaneous sampling and analysis of Methyl alcohol, Sec-butyl alcohol, Isopropyl alcohol, n-Butyl alcohol, Isobutyl alcohol and n-propyl alcohol is possible.

IRSST. Détermination des alcools prélevés sur tubes de charbon activé synthétique dans l'air (non publié)

Ethyl alcohol

Method: IRSST - 416

Sampling protocol

Sampling device:
Sampling media required:
#IRSSTDescription
2696 566AT passive dosimeter

Parameters:
Flow rate: 0,0135 L/min
TWA sampling volume: -
STEL sampling volume: -
Remarks: For the monitors, the flow must be considered as being a sampling rate.

Principle: Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)
Precision (%): 3,0
Minimum reported value: 120 µg

IRSST. "Dosage des composés organiques volatils dans l'air par dosimétrie passive". Méthode 416. Non publiée.
Following the amendment of Appendix 1 of the Quebec Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST, RLRQ, c. S-2.1, r. 13), part of Quebec Occupational Health and Safety Act, which came into effect on March 26, 2020, the TWAEV, STEL and Ceiling values for certain substances are now expressed in ppm. For these substances, the IRSST performed the conversion calculations to express these TWAEV, TWA and Ceiling values in mg/m3, which thus appears in its Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace (Guide d'échantillonnage des contaminants de l'air en milieu de travail ) and the associated Substance Data Sheets. However, it is imperative to refer to the values expressed in the RSST which are legally binding.