AEGL - Acute Exposure Guideline Levels: Organization

Initiated by the German „Federal Environmental Agency“, the „Hazardous Incident Commission“ („Störfallkommission“, now the „Kommission für Anlagensicherheit“, „Commission for Plant Safety“) is engaged in topics relating to hazardous incident guidance values since 1993. In the same year, guidelines were published in the USA which led to the AEGL values (more).

A German „Toxicology Expert Group“ of the „Commission for Plant safety“ („Kommission für Anlagensicherheit“, the former „Störfallkommission“) was established in 1999 which recommends toxicologically substantiated AEGL values (more on the national process of AEGL development).

Internationally there is close collaboration with the USA where national AEGL values are established (more on the process of AEGL development in the USA). The adoption of values agreed upon in the USA is not binding in Germany. Modifications may take place.

Within the OECD there are similar activities, especially in the Netherlands an France.

First activities relating to hazardous incident guidance values in Germany date back to the late 80ies and early 90ies:

• An (unpublished) concept for the derivation of „Störfallbeurteilungswerte“ was developed by the „Association of the Chemical Industry“ (Verband der Chemischen Industrie; VCI) around 1990.
• In 1991, the „European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals“ (ECETOC) published a corresponding methodology.
• The „Hazardous Incident Commission“ is engaged in this field since 1993 (and became the "Commission for Plant Safety", "Kommission für Anlagensicherheit", in 2005). It published a documentation of the respective international values in 1996 and initially developed draft values according to the ERPG concept (see below).
• The „Federal Environmental Agency“ in cooperation with the federal states developed a list of priority substances relating to the Hazardous Incident Ordinance in 1994. For chemicals of this list assessment criteria should be established because of their relevance in relation to hazardous incidents.
• Under contract of the „Federal Agency for Civil Defense“ the Technical University in Munich derived the so-called „Einsatztoleranzwerte“ in 1995/6.
• The „Federal Environmental Agency“ charged the Research and Advisory Institute for Hazardous Substances (FoBiG) in Freiburg with the development of AEGL values in 1998. This was to be carried out in international collaboration after the former Hazardous Incident Commission adopted this concept and the Toxicology Expert Group was established.
• Additional substances were covered by FoBiG and consultants Dr. Voß/Dr. Rosner within the framework of a follow-up project.

In the USA, considerations dating back to 1944 were taken up in the 70ies and led to initial hazardous incident reference values. In 1987, the „Emergency Response Planning Guideline Committee“ was set up which developed ERPG values still relevant in the USA and internationally. The National Research Council published a report entitled „Guidelines for Developing Community Emergency Exposure Levels for Hazardous Substances“ in 1993. The AEGL concept was then developed from the general methodological outlines of this report and the experiences gathered during derivation of ERPG values. It is planned to provide AEGL values for some 400 to 500 chemicals during the next ten years.

The OECD with its „Chemical Accidents Programme“ began to support AEGL values as well and, for example, dealt with it in two sessions (27th and 29th Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Group and Management Committee, Paris, 1998 and 1999).