Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Preparation and In Vivo Use of an Activity-based Probe for N-acylethanolamine Acid Amidase
Published on: November 23, 2016
Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for acrylonitrile
Susan Goldhaber1, David Dorman, Donald Gardner
1Toxicology and Hazard Assessment Group, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA.
Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for acrylonitrile exposure were established for drinking water and inhalation. These health-based guidance values address varying exposure durations and toxicological severity.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health Risk Assessment
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acrylonitrile is a chemical with potential exposure risks through drinking water and inhalation.
- Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) are health-based guidance values used to assess chemical safety.
- Previous research established methodologies for deriving PALs, detailed in accompanying publications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply Provisional Advisory Level (PAL) protocols to acrylonitrile.
- To establish health-based guidance values for various exposure durations and routes.
- To inform public health decisions regarding acrylonitrile exposure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized experimental data, primarily from animal studies, for acrylonitrile toxicity.
- Developed three levels of PALs (PAL 1, PAL 2, PAL 3) reflecting increasing toxic effect severity.
- Calculated PALs for 24-hour, 30-day, 90-day, and 2-year exposure durations via oral and inhalation routes.
Main Results:
- Established oral PALs for 24-hour, 30-day/90-day, and 2-year exposures, with specific values for PAL 1, 2, and 3.
- Established inhalation PALs for 24-hour, 30-day/90-day, and 2-year exposures, with specific values for PAL 1 and 2.
- Noted insufficient data to recommend PAL 3 values for 30-day, 90-day, and 2-year inhalation exposures.
Conclusions:
- PALs for acrylonitrile were successfully derived for various exposure scenarios.
- The established PALs provide crucial guidance for assessing potential health risks from acrylonitrile.
- Data limitations were identified for specific long-term inhalation exposure scenarios.
Related Concept Videos
Acidity of 1-Alkynes
The acidic strength of hydrocarbons follows the order: Alkynes > Alkenes > Alkanes. The strength of an acid is commonly expressed in units of pKa — the lower the pKa, the stronger the acid. Among the hydrocarbons, terminal alkynes have lower pKa values and are, therefore, more acidic. For example, the pKa values for ethane, ethene, and acetylene are 51, 44, and 25, respectively, as shown here.
Leveling Effect and Non-Aqueous Acid-Base Solutions
The Leveling Effect of a Solvent
A generic acid (HA) reacts with the generic base (B-) to yield the corresponding conjugate base (A-) and conjugate acid (HB):
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Amines to Amides: Acylation of Amines
Next, the second equivalent of amine serves as a Brønsted base and deprotonates the quaternary amide...
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.
Nomenclature of Alkynes

