# Inorganic arsenic — OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance

For Inorganic arsenic, cfr section is 1910.1018; action level is 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 µg/m3); pel is 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (10 µg/m3) as determined as an average over an 8-hour period; surveillance trigger is all employees who are or will be exposed above the action level, without regard to the use of respirators, at least 30 days per year; and all employees who have been exposed above the action level for 30 days or more per year for a total of 10 years or more; exam frequency is annually (for employees 45 years of age or less with fewer than 10 years exposure over the action level); every 6 months (for employees over 45 years old or with more than 10 years exposure over the action level), recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.

- **Substance:** Inorganic arsenic _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 1910.1018 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Action level:** 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 µg/m3)
- **PEL:** 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (10 µg/m3) as determined as an average over an 8-hour period
- **Surveillance trigger:** all employees who are or will be exposed above the action level, without regard to the use of respirators, at least 30 days per year; and all employees who have been exposed above the action level for 30 days or more per year for a total of 10 years or more
- **Exam frequency:** annually (for employees 45 years of age or less with fewer than 10 years exposure over the action level); every 6 months (for employees over 45 years old or with more than 10 years exposure over the action level)
- **Record retention:** at least 40 years or for the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is longer

## What the source says

> 1910.1018 Inorganic arsenic." /> 29 CFR §

## Source

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1018

Last verified: 2026-08-12. Review by: 2027-02-08.
Part of [OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance](https://referencesource.org/osha-medical-surveillance-triggers/).