DNEL

DNELs come from the REACH regulation in Europe, where registrants must assess risks to human health for the uses they support. They start with a point from toxicity studies, such as a no-adverse-effect level, and apply assessment factors to account for differences between animals and humans, variation between people, and uncertainty in the data.

Separate DNELs may be derived for different groups and routes. Workers and the general population get different values, and a figure may apply to inhalation, skin contact or oral exposure, for short-term or long-term exposure. The numbers are not interchangeable between these categories.

A DNEL is not a legal workplace limit. Binding occupational limits are set by authorities, for example the OSHA permissible exposure limits in the United States. A DNEL is a benchmark used in a company's chemical safety assessment: if the estimated exposure for a use is below the DNEL, the risk is considered controlled.

You will see DNELs in extended SDSs for REACH-registered substances, sometimes in an exposure scenario annex. Even if you work outside Europe, the information can help compare control levels, but it does not replace the exposure limits that apply in your jurisdiction.