To solve this problem, we need to understand the terms that describe various exposure limits in the context of safety and occupational health.
1. Threshold Limit Value (TLV):
- TLV is a guideline or recommendation that indicates the level of exposure to a substance that a worker can experience day after day for a working lifetime without adverse effects. TLVs are established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
2. Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL):
- PEL is a regulatory limit on the amount or concentration of a substance in the air. It is legally enforceable by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States. PELs are intended to protect workers against health effects from exposure to hazardous substances.
3. Short-term Exposure Limit (STEL):
- STEL is the maximum concentration of a substance to which workers can be exposed continuously for a short period, typically 15 minutes, without suffering from irritation, chronic or irreversible tissue damage, or impairment in the ability to escape. It is used in conjunction with other exposure limits and must be adhered to within appropriate intervals between exposures. It ensures that even short bursts of high concentration exposure are controlled to prevent acute health effects.
Given these definitions, the term describing the maximum concentration that can be tolerated for 15 minutes at a time is:
C. Short-term exposure limit (STEL)
This term specifically addresses short-term exposure limits, indicating that a high concentration of exposure is allowable for a brief period (15 minutes) provided there is an appropriate interval between such exposures to avoid harmful effects.
