Current recommendations submitted to the Federal Minister of Labour / 70th anniversary of the Commission: Open Science Day on 1 October 2025 at the Futurium in Berlin

The Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area of the DFG has presented its latest research-based recommendations on the risk assessment of substances used at the workplace and submitted them to the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. The annually published list of recommended maximum workplace concentrations (MAK values) and biological tolerance values (BAT values)(externer Link) serves as an essential basis for implementing the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (Gefahrstoffverordnung – GefStoffV) in Germany. The recommendations put forward by the Senate Commission on the handling of hazardous substances are first assessed by the Federal Ministry of Labour’s Committee on Hazardous Substances, and statutory regulations are subsequently drawn up on this basis as necessary. The Commission is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, and 2025 also marks the 61st edition of the list. The digital version of the recommendations will shortly be available in English and Spanish in open access too, providing a basis for occupational health and safety internationally. 

In its current recommendations for airborne exposure limits, the Commission revised the risk assessment for twelve substances in the light of new scientific findings and added four new substances to the list: acetoin, benzyl acetate, benzyl formate, and benzophenone-3. These exposure limits indicate maximum workplace concentrations (MAK values), i.e. the quantities of a substance that do not cause any long-term harm at the workplace as a gas, vapour or aerosol in the air.

The recommendations also include biological limit values in blood and urine, which are used to assess the individual internal exposure resulting from contact with a hazardous substance from an occupational and toxicological perspective. This includes the concentrations of a substance in the body that a person can be exposed to throughout their working life without adverse health effects – known as biological work substance tolerance values (“BAT”) – and also the biological reference values (“BAR”), which can be used to assess the extent of occupational exposure. This year’s list contains updates to the biological limit values for five substances, and also includes information on whether a substance can cause cancer, damage germ cells, harm a developing foetus during pregnancy, sensitise the skin or respiratory tract, or is absorbed in toxic quantities through the skin.

Formaldehyde releasers and lithium under review

Among other topics, the Commission devoted considerable attention last year to so-called formaldehyde releasers – chemical compounds that release formaldehyde. These are used in products such as cosmetics, paints and cooling lubricants to prevent contamination by microorganisms. Formaldehyde itself can be carcinogenic to the upper respiratory tract if the maximum workplace concentration is exceeded. In assessing formaldehyde releasers, it is particularly important to consider the dynamics of formaldehyde release, which may be influenced by pH levels, for example. The release of formaldehyde from such substances should be more widely discussed in the research community in order to gain a better understanding of the resulting mechanisms of action in the human body. A separate article on the topic is to be published shortly in a scientific journal.

The Commission also placed particular emphasis on the alkali metal lithium, an essential component of modern technologies. As a result of the increasing use of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices, potential negative effects on industrial workers and increased environmental impact are the subject of growing discussion. In response to this increasing relevance, the Commission re-evaluated the biological reference value (“BAR”) for lithium based on the latest scientific literature. This makes it possible to determine whether those exposed to lithium at the workplace have levels above the background exposure found in the general population, thereby indicating increased occupational exposure.

The Commission published a total of 94 scientific papers last year. “This large number of publications once again highlights the high level of voluntary commitment on the part of all the researchers who work together in the Commission,” said the Commission Chair, Professor Dr. Andrea Hartwig of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Detailed scientific documentations are available for each of the substances reviewed. In order to ensure the recommendations are up to date with the latest scientific findings, the proposed amendments and new additions remain open for discussion until 31 December 2025. New data or scientific comments can be submitted to the Commission up until that date.

Data- and AI-based simulation approaches complement conventional research methods

In order to develop comprehensive scientific recommendations on exposure limits, the Commission analyses all available data, findings and studies relating to each substance. In addition to data from human studies, it also draws on results from various animal models and compares these with existing human data. Further insights come from studies on the substance’s mode of action, such as those carried out in cell cultures. Assessing this data requires the expertise of researchers from a range of different disciplines, all of whom collaborate closely within the Commission.

In recent years, a number of alternative methods for substance assessment have been developed – the so-called New Approach Methods (NAMs). These especially include data- and AI-based simulation models, as well as high-throughput testing systems. In the Commission’s view, these approaches can already provide a useful complement to more traditional toxicological research methods in some areas. All in all, however, they are not yet sufficiently advanced to be used reliably on their own for the purpose of quantitative risk assessment and the derivation of exposure limits – or to fully replace animal testing, for example. 

All substance documentations and methodological descriptions prepared by the Senate Commission are to be found in the MAK Collection. In addition to the latest results of the Commission’s scientific work, all other publications are likewise available in open access, ensuring that the results are presented in a form that enables comprehensive scientific reuse.

Open Science Day at the Futurium

The Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area was established in 1955, so it is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the Commission is hosting an Open Science Day at the Futurium in Berlin from 10:00 am. to 5:00 pm. on 1 October 2025, offering insights into its work under the theme “It’s the dose that matters”. In an interactive exhibition on hazardous substances at the workplace, visitors will learn why the dose of a substance truly makes a difference and how available scientific studies can be used to gain fresh insights into mechanisms of action – and ultimately enable recommendations to be developed for the safe handling of hazardous and potentially harmful substances. Experts in the areas of toxicology, occupational medicine, chemistry, pathology, epidemiology and measurement techniques will present their work and demonstrate how the findings of the MAK Commission are relevant to everyday life.

Further Information: 

Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area(interner Link)

Media contact: DFG Press and Public Relations, Tel. +49 228 885-2109, presse@dfg.de(externer Link)

Secretariat of the DFG Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area:

Dr. Gunnar Jahnke and Dr. Gerlinde Schriever-Schwemmer, Tel. +49 721 608-47400, mak_sekr@iab.kit.edu(externer Link)

Programme contact at the DFG Head Office: Dr. Katja Hartig, Life Sciences, Tel. +49 228 885-2359, arbeitsstoffkommission@dfg.de(externer Link)