The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 2. Aliphatic Nitriles 2.1. Physical Properties 2.2. Chemical Properties 2.3. General Production Processes 2.4. Selected Aliphatic Nitriles 2.4.1. Saturated Mono‐ and Dinitriles 2.4.2. Unsaturated Mono‐ and Dinitriles 2.4.3. Substituted Nitriles 2.4.4. β‐Iminonitriles 2.4.5. β‐Ketonitriles 2.5. Toxicology and Occupational Health 3. Aromatic and Araliphatic Nitriles 3.1. Properties 3.2. General Production Methods 3.3. Selected Araliphatic and Aromatic Nitriles 3.3.1. Araliphatic Nitriles 3.3.2. Aromatic Nitriles 3.3.2.1. Cyanobenzenes 3.3.2.2. Cyanonaphthalenes (Naphthalene Carboxylic Acid Nitriles) 3.4. Toxicology

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The potential chronic health risks of occupational and environmental exposure to styrene were evaluated to update health hazard and exposure information developed since the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis risk assessment for styrene was performed in 2002. The updated hazard assessment of styrene's health effects indicates human cancers and ototoxicity remain potential concerns. However, mechanistic research on mouse lung tumors demonstrates these tumors are mouse-specific and of low relevance to human cancer risk. The updated toxicity database supports toxicity reference levels of 20 ppm (equates to 400 mg urinary metabolites mandelic acid + phenylglyoxylic acid/g creatinine) for worker inhalation exposure and 3.7 ppm and 2.5 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, for general population inhalation and oral exposure. No cancer risk value estimates are proposed given the established lack of relevance of mouse lung tumors and inconsistent epidemiology evidence. The updated exposure assessment supports inhalation and ingestion routes as important. The updated risk assessment found estimated risks within acceptable ranges for all age groups of the general population and workers with occupational exposures in non-fiber-reinforced polymer composites industries and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) workers using closedmold operations or open-mold operations with respiratory protection. Only FRP workers using open-mold operations not using respiratory protection have risk exceedances for styrene and should be considered for risk management measures. In addition, given the reported interaction of styrene exposure with noise, noise reduction to sustain levels below 85 dB(A) needs be in place.

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Occupational exposure limits (OELs) for carbon disulfide vary between 1 and 10 ppm worldwide. They are generally based on health effects observed in viscose industry. Publications after the mid-1970s are reviewed to determine whether there is a scientific justification for an OEL below 10 ppm. The exposure situation in viscose industry is governed by long exposure durations, high exposures in past decades, high peak exposures, former analytical procedures underestimating exposure, and shift work. Three approaches were used to define an OEL based on workplace data: (1) Division of a cumulative exposure index by lifetime exposure duration. This approach ignores the possible existence of a threshold and fails to differentiate between brief high and sustained low exposures. (2) Defining the NOEL/LOEL by mean exposure levels. With a wide range of exposures, effects observed at the mean are driven by high exposures underestimating the true NOEL. (3) Assessment of effects observed at workplaces complying with a predefined exposure limit. Without adverse effects at such a limit this should be the starting point to define the OEL. The most important health effects for carbon disulfide are coronary heart disease, coronary risk factors, retinal angiopathy, color discrimination, effects on peripheral nerves, psychophysiological effects, morphological and other central nervous system (CNS) effects, and fertility and hormonal effects. The data generally support an OEL of 10 ppm. Some uncertainties exist for effects on electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, retinal microaneurysms (in Japanese workers), peripheral nerve conduction velocities, some psychophysiological parameters, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; hyperintensive spots), and hearing function. Further investigations on workers under defined long-term exposure conditions might help to come to a final conclusion. Finally, the reproductive capacity of female workers may not be adequately protected at exposures around 10 ppm.