FACT SHEET - AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE REGISTRYTSAR KEEP tg F�LL� Graa,�ci
CONTENTS
The fact sheets contained in this packet answer the most frequently asked health questions about
the hazardous substances listed below. For more information, you may contact the Agency for,
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE,
Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333, Phone: 404-639-6000.
No.
Name(s)
Chemical Abstract Number (CAS No.)
1.
Aldrin/Dieldrin
309-00-2
60-57-1
2..
Arsenic
4770-38-2
3.
Benzene
71-43-2
4.
Beryllium
7440-41-7
5.
Cadmium
4770-43-9
6.
Chloroform
67-66-3
7.
Chromium
7440-47-3
8.
Cyanide
57-12-5
9.
1,4 -Dichlorobenzene
10746-7
10.
Di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
117-81-7
11.
Fluorides
7782-414
7664-39-3
7681-49-4
12.
Heptachlor/Heptachlor epoxide
76-44-8
1024-57-3
13.
Lead
7439-92-1
14.
Methylene Chloride
75-09-2
15.
Nickel
7440-02-0
16.
N-Nitrosodiphenylamine.
86-30-6
17.
Polychlorinated biphenyls
1336-36 3
11096-82-5
11097-69-1
12672-29-6
53469-21-9
11141-16-5
11104-28-2
12674-11-2
1.8.,
Tetrachloroethylene
127-18-4
19.
Trichloroethylene
79-01-6
20.
Vinyl Chloride
.75-01-4
OVERVIEW
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, is a federal government agency based in Atlanta. It was
created under the Comprehensive Environmental Response and
Compensation Act of 1980 (CERCLA, also known as Superfund).
ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health
effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to
hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and
other sources of pollution present in the environment.
DIVISION OF TOXICOLOGY, Phone: 404-639-6300 Fax: -6315
* Priority list of 275 hazardous substances of greatest concern at
National Priorities List (NPL) sites. The NPL has 1,358 sites
listed or proposed.
* Fact sheets on hazardous substances (Contact Dr. Carolyn Harper)
1 -page summaries on hazardous substances condensed from public
health statements in the toxicological profiles.
* Spanish translations of public health statements (Contact
Dr. Carolyn Harper) -- a 4 -page summary in Spanish on 80 of the
hazardous substances on the National Priorities List.
* Toxicological profiles (Contact Kim Fears) -- 130 -page technical
manuals on hazardous substances on the National Priorities List.
DIVISION OF HEALTH EDUCATION, Phone: 404-639-6205 Fax: -6207
* Public health statement notebooks (Contact Gayle Alston) -- This
notebook, provided free to libraries, contains the first chapter of
80 separate toxicological profiles of hazardous substances (those
most often found at U.S. hazardous waste sites). The first chapters
of these profiles (5 to 10 pages) are the public health statements.
* Quarterly newsletter, Hazardous Substances and Public Health,
free (Contact Teresa Ramsey, Editor).
* For questions about ATSDR's activities with libraries -- call
Gayle Alston, M.L.S., at 404-639-6205, or Internet
pgal@atsod3.em.cdc.gov.
_ TSDR
ALDRIN/
DIELDRIN
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about aldrin and dieldrin. For
more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What are aldrin and dieldrin?
(Pronounced al' drin and di -el' drin)
Aldrin and dieldrin are insecticides with similar
structures. They are discussed together in this fact sheet
because aldrin quickly breaks down to dieldrin in the body
and in the environment. Pure aldrin and dieldrin are white
powders with a mild chemical odor. The less pure
commercial powders have a tan color. Aldrin and dieldrin
do not occur naturally in the environment.
From 1950-1970, aldrin and dieldrin were popular
pesticides for crops like corn and cotton. Because of
concerns about damage to the environment and the
potential harm to human health, EPA banned all uses of
aldrin and dieldrin in 1974 except to control termites. In
1987, EPA banned all uses.
What happens to aldrin and dieldrin when
they enter the environment?
❑ Sunlight and bacteria change aldrin to dieldrin so we
mostly find dieldrin in the environment.
❑ They bind tightly to soil and slowly evaporate to the air.
❑ Dieldrin breaks down very slowly.
❑ Plants take in and store aldrin and dieldrin from the soil.
❑ Aldrin rapidly changes to dieldrin in plants and animals.
❑ Dieldrin is stored in the fat and leaves the body very
slowly.
How might I be exposed to aldrin or dieldrin?
Cl Dieldrin is everywhere in the environment, but at very
low levels.
❑ Since its use was banned, most foods contain very
little, if any, dieldrin.
❑ Foods such as fish, seafood, dairy products, fatty
meats, and root crops grown in contaminated water or
soil may have higher levels of dieldrin.
❑ Air, surface water, or soil near waste sites may also
contain higher levels.
How can aldrin and dieldrin affect my health?
Aldrin and dieldrin mainly affect the central nervous
system.
Accidental or intentional ingestion of high levels of
aldrin and dieldrin result in convulsions and death. These
levels are many thousands of times higher than the average
exposure.
Ingesting moderate levels of aldrin or dieldrin over a
longer period may also cause convulsions. This occurs
because aldrin and dieldrin build up in our bodies.
We don't know the effects of exposure to low levels of
Page 2 ALDRIN/
DIELDRIN
aldrin or dieldrin over a long time. Some workers who
made or applied the insecticides had nervous system
effects with excitation leading to convulsions. Lesser
effects in some workers included:
❑ headaches
❑ dizziness
❑ vomiting
❑ irritability
❑ uncontrolled muscle movements.
Workers removed from the source of exposure rapidly
recovered from most of these effects.
Studies in animals indicate that aldrin or dieldrin may
reduce the body's ability to resist infection.
How likely are aldrin and dieldrin to cause
cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has
determined that aldrin and dieldrin are not classifiable as to
their carcinogenicity to humans. There is no direct
evidence that aldrin or dieldrin causes cancer in humans.
Studies on workers generally show no increase in cancer or
deaths due to cancer. Mice given high amounts of
dieldrin, however, did develop liver cancers.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to aldrin or dieldrin?
Tests are available that measure the amount of dieldrin
in blood, fat, breast milk, and body tissues. The blood test
is most often used. The amount of dieldrin in the body
indicates how much dieldrin you were exposed to, but not
when, since dieldrin stays in the body for a long time. The
blood test is simple, but not routinely performed at your
doctor's office.
Where can I get more information?
Some studies in people predict that levels above 0.20
m lligrams of dieldrin in a liter of blood (0.20 mg/L) may
result in harmful effects such as convulsions or
uncontrollable muscle movements.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
defines aldrin and dieldrin as hazardous solid waste. In
1974, EPA banned all uses of aldrin or dieldrin except as a
termite killer. By 1987, EPA banned all uses. EPA
concludes that the maximum amount of aldrin and dieldrin
that can be present in our water and seafood should not
exceed 74 picograms per liter (pg/L) of aldrin or 71 pg/L
of dieldrin.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates
the residues of aldrin and dieldrin in raw foods. The
allowable range for residues is from 0 to 0.1 parts of
dieldrin to one million parts of food (0-0.1 ppm)
depending on the type of food product. This limits the
intake of aldrin and dieldrin in food to safe levels.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into you body.
PPM: Parts per million.
Picogram (pg): One billionth of a gram.
Milligram (mg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for aldrin/dieldrin.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics.-, Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
A
�
ARSENIC
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about arsenic. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is arsenic?
(Pronounced ar' se -nik)
Arsenic is found in nature at low levels. It's mostly in
compounds with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur. These are
called inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic in plants
and animals combines with carbon and hydrogen. This is
called organic arsenic. Organic arsenic is usually less
harmful than inorganic arsenic.
Most arsenic compounds have no smell or special
taste.
Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to
preserve wood. They are also used to make insecticides
and weed killers. You can check the labels of treated
wood and insecticides to see if they contain arsenic.
Copper and lead ores contain small amounts of arsenic.
What happens to arsenic when it enters the
environment?
❑ It doesn't evaporate.
❑ Most arsenic compounds can dissolve in water.
❑ It gets into air when contaminated materials are
burned.
❑ It settles from the air to the ground.
❑ It doesn't break down, but can change from one form
to another.
❑ Fish and shellfish build up organic arsenic in their
tissues, but most of the arsenic in fish isn't toxic.
How might I be exposed to arsenic?
❑ Breathing sawdust or burning smoke from wood
containing arsenic
❑ Breathing workplace air
❑ Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air at waste
sites
❑ Ingesting contaminated water, soil, or air near areas
naturally high in arsenic.
How can arsenic affect my health?
Inorganic arsenic is a human poison. Organic arsenic
is less harmful.
High levels of inorganic arsenic in food or water can
be fatal. A high level is 60 parts of arsenic per million
parts of food or water (60 ppm). Arsenic damages many
tissues including nerves, stomach and intestines, and skin.
Breathing high levels can give you a sore throat and
irritated lungs.
Page 2 ARSENIC
Lower levels of exposure to inorganic arsenic may
cause:
❑ Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
❑ Decreased production of red and white blood cells
❑ Abnormal heart rhythm
❑ Blood vessel damage
❑ A "pins and needles" sensation in hands and feet.
Long term exposure to inorganic arsenic may lead to
a darkening of the skin and the appearance of small
"corns" or "warts" on the palms, soles, and torso.
Direct skin contact may cause redness and swelling.
How likely is arsenic to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that arsenic is a known
carcinogen. Breathing inorganic arsenic increases the risk
of lung cancer. Ingesting inorganic arsenic increases the
risk of skin cancer and tumors of the bladder, kidney,
liver, and lung.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to arsenic?
Tests can measure your exposure to high levels of
arsenic. These tests are not routinely performed in a
doctor's office.
Arsenic can be measured in your urine. This is the
most reliable test for arsenic exposure. Since arsenic stays
in the body only a short time, you must have the test soon
after exposure.
Tests on hair or fingernails can measure your exposure
to high levels of arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These
tests are not very useful for low level exposures.
These tests do not predict whether you will have any
harmful health effects.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets
limits on the amount of arsenic that industrial sources can
release. It restricted or canceled many uses of arsenic in
pesticides and may restrict more. EPA set a limit of 0.05
parts per million (ppm) for arsenic in drinking water. EPA
may lower this further.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) established a maximum permissible exposure limit
for workplace airborne arsenic of 10 micrograms per cubic
meter (gg/m3).
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into your body.
PPM: Parts per million.
Microgram (gg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for arsenic.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Arsenic toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=1; TSDR
BENZENE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about benzene. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
o ; enzene
What is benzene?
(Pronounced ben' un)
Benzene is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor. It is
also called benzol.
Benzene gets into the environment from human and
natural activities. Natural sources like volcanoes and
forest fires release small amounts of benzene to the
environment. Benzene is also found in crude oil and
gasoline. The main release of benzene to the environment
comes from the use of oil and gasoline, and its use as a
major industrial chemical.
Industry uses benzene to make chemicals for
styrofoam, plastics, resins, nylon, and synthetic fibers. It
is also used to make some types of rubber, lubricants,
dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.
What happens to benzene when it enters the
environment?
❑ As a vapor, benzene mixes with air very quickly.
❑ It reacts with other chemicals in the air, and breaks
down within a few days.
❑ In liquid form, benzene mixes easily in water.
❑ Benzene in water changes quickly into a vapor, and
goes into the air.
❑ It breaks down more slowly in water than in air.
❑ It can move from soil to groundwater.
❑ Plants and animals do not store high levels of it.
How might I be exposed to benzene?
❑ The most common exposure is from breathing
benzene in air.
❑ Tobacco smoke is the source of about 50 percent of
most people's total exposure.
❑ Auto exhaust and industrial emissions are the source
of about 20 percent of most people's total exposure.
❑ Highest levels in air may be found in the workplace
(rubber industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, shoe
manufacturing, gasoline storage, shipment and retail).
❑ Glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents are
common sources.
❑ Breathing vapors from contaminated water or soil.
How can benzene affect my health?
Benzene is harmful, especially to the tissues that form
blood cells.
Brief exposures of 5-10 minutes to benzene in air at
very high levels (500,000 times the average levels) can
cause death.
High levels (50,000 times the average levels) can
cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches,
tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. In most cases,
Page 2 BENZENE
these effects will stop once exposure ends and you begin
to breathe fresh air.
Breathing lower levels for long periods may damage
blood cells and bone marrow. This can cause anemia or
excessive bleeding or cancer of the white blood cells
(leukemia). Benzene may also harm the immune system
and increase the chance for infection.
Eating or drinking high levels of benzene can cause:
❑ Vomiting or irritation of the stomach
❑ Dizziness, sleepiness, or convulsions
❑ Rapid heart rate, coma, and death.
The health effects from eating or drinking foods with
low levels of benzene are not known.
Direct contact with the skin may cause redness and
sores. Benzene may irritate and damage your eyes.
Animal studies indicate that benzene may damage
genes and may affect the ability to have healthy children.
How likely is benzene to cause cancer?
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a
maximum permissible level of benzene in drinking water
at 5 parts of benzene per billion parts of water (5 ppb) per
day for a lifetime of exposure. EPA sets a goal of 0 ppb
benzene in drinking water and in rivers and lakes. The
maximum permissible level of benzene in water for short-
term exposures (10 days) for children is 235 ppb.
EPA requires that the National Response Center be
notified of a discharge or spill into the environment of
1,000 pounds or more of benzene.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) sets an occupational exposure
limit of 1 part per million (ppm) in air fcr an 8 -hour
workday, 40 -hour workweek.
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that benzene is a known human Glossary
carcinogen. Benzene is associated with leukemia, a Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
cancer of the blood -forming tissues. Leukemia: A cancer of the blood-formir-g tissues.
PPB: Parts per billion.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've PPM: Parts per million.
been exposed to benzene?
References
Tests can measure the amount of benzene in breath and
blood. Most tests must be done soon after the exposure
because benzene does not stay in the body for a long time.
The blood test is accurate only for recent exposures. The
breath test is not useful for very low levels of exposure.
Your body converts benzene to other compounds,
including phenol, which can also be measured in urine.
These tests can't tell how much benzene you were
exposed to or the possible health effects.
These tests may be available at your doctor's office.
Where can I get more information?
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for benzene.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Benzene toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, At anta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
TSDR
BERYLLIUM
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about beryllium. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is beryllium? ❑ Fish do not buildup beryllium in their bodies from the
(Pronounced ber-il" le -um) surrounding water to any great extent.
Pure beryllium is a hard, grayish metal. In nature,
beryllium can be found in compounds in mineral rocks,
coal, soil, and volcanic dust. Beryllium compounds are
commercially mined, and the beryllium purified for use in
electrical parts, machine parts, ceramics, aircraft parts,
nuclear weapons, and mirrors.
Beryllium compounds have no particular smell.
What happens to beryllium when it enters the
environment?
❑ Beryllium dust gets into air from burning coal and oil.
❑ Beryllium dusts settles from air to the soil and water.
❑ It enters water from rocks and soil, and from industrial
waste.
❑ Some beryllium compounds dissolve in water, but most
settle to the bottom as particles.
❑ Beryllium particles in ocean water may take a few
hundred years to settle to the bottom.
❑ Most beryllium in soil doesn't move up to the surface
or into the groundwater.
How might I be exposed to beryllium?
❑ Background levels in air, food, and water are low.
❑ Breathing contaminated workplace air (e.g., mining or
processing ores, alloy and chemical manufacturing
with beryllium, machining or recycling metals
containing beryllium)
❑ Beathing tobacco smoke from leaf high in beryllium
❑ Breathing contaminated air or ingesting water or food
near industry or hazardous waste sites.
How can beryllium affect my health?
Beryllium can be harmful if you breathe it. The effects
depend on how much you are exposed to and for how
long.
High levels of beryllium in air cause lung damage and
a disease that resembles pneumonia. If you stop breathing
beryllium dust, the lung damage may heal.
Some people become sensitive to beryllium. This is
called a hypersensitivity or allergy. These individuals
develop an inflammatory reaction to low levels of
beryllium. This condition is called chronic beryllium
Page 2 BERYLLIUM
disease, and can occur long after exposure to small
amounts of beryllium. This disease can make you feel
weak and tired, and can cause difficulty in breathing.
Both the short-term, pneumonia -like disease and the
chronic beryllium disease can cause death.
Swallowing beryllium has not been reported to cause
effects in humans because very little beryllium can move
from the stomach and intestines into the bloodstream.
Beryllium contact with scraped or cut skin can cause
rashes or ulcers.
How likely is beryllium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that beryllium and certain
beryllium compounds may reasonably be anticipated to be
carcinogens. This determination is based on animal
studies and studies in workers. None of the studies
provide conclusive evidence, but when taken as a whole,
they indicate that long-term exposure to beryllium in the
air results in an increase in lung cancer.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to beryllium?
Tests can measure beryllium in the urine and blood.
The amount of beryllium in blood or urine may not
indicate how much or how recently you were exposed.
Small amounts of human lung and skin can also be
removed from the body and examined for beryllium.
These tests can be done in a doctor's office or in a hospital.
One test uses blood cells washed out of the lung. If
these cells start growing in the presence of beryllium, you
Where can I get more information?
are probably sensitive to beryllium and may have chronic
beryllium disease.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
restricts the amount of beryllium that industries may emit
into the environment to 10 grams (g) in a 24-hour period,
or to an amount that would result in atmospheric levels of
0.01 micrograms (pg) beryllium per cubic meter (m3)of
air, averaged over a 30 -day period.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends a standard for occupational
exposure of 0.5 gg beryllium/m3 of workroom air during
an 8 -hour shift to protect workers from potential cancer.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) sets a limit of 2 pg beryllium/m3 of workroom air
for an 8 -hour work shift.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into your body.
Hypersensitivity: A greater than normal bodily response
to a foreign agent.
Microgram (pg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for beryllium
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Beryllium toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
CADMIUM
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about cadmium For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
ro
sm
What is cadmium?
(Pronounced kad' me - um)
Cadmium is a natural element in the earth's crust. It is
usually found as a mineral combined with other elements
such as oxygen (cadmium oxide), chlorine (cadmium
chloride), or sulfur (cadmium sulfate, cadmium sulfide). It
doesn't have a definite taste or odor.
All soils and rocks, including coal and mineral
fertilizers, have some cadmium in them. The cadmium
that industry uses is extracted during the production of
other metals like zinc, lead, and copper.
Cadmium does not corrode easily and has many uses.
In industry and consumer products, it is used for batteries,
pigments, metal coatings, and plastics.
What happens to cadmium when it enters the
environment?
❑ Cadmium enters air from mining, industry, and burning
coal and household wastes.
❑ Cadmium particles in air can travel long distances
before falling to the ground or water.
❑ It enters water and soil from waste disposal and spills
or leaks at hazardous waste sites.
❑ It binds strongly to soil particles
❑ Some cadmium dissolves in water.
❑ It doesn't break down in the environment, but can
change forms.
❑ Fish, plants, and animals take up cadmium from the
environment.
❑ Cadmium stays in the body a very long time and can
build up from many years of exposure to low levels.
How might I be exposed to cadmium?
❑ Breathing contaminated workplace air (battery
manufacturing, metal soldering or welding)
❑ Eating foods containing it; low levels in all foods
(highest in shellfish, liver, and kidney meats)
❑ Breathing cadmium in cigarette smoke (doubles the
average daily intake)
❑ Drinking contaminated water
❑ Breathing contaminated air near the burning of fossil
fuels or municipal waste.
How can cadmium affect my health?
Breathing high levels of cadmium severely damages
the lungs and can cause death. Eating food or drinking
water with very high levels severely irritates the stomach,
leading to vomiting and diarrhea.
Page 2 CADMIUM
Long term exposure to lower levels of cadmium in air,
food, or water leads to a build up of cadmium in the
kidneys and possible kidney disease. Other potential long
term effects are lung damage and fragile bones.
Animals given cadmium in food or water show high
blood pressure, iron -poor blood, liver disease, and nerve or
brain damage. We don't know if humans get any of these
diseases from eating or drinking cadmium.
Skin contact with cadmium is not known to cause
health effects in humans or animals.
How likely is cadmium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that cadmium and cadmium
compounds may reasonably be anticipated to be
carcinogens.
This is based on weak evidence of increased lung
cancer in humans from breathing cadmium and on strong
evidence from animal studies. We do not know if
cadmium causes cancer from skin contact or from eating or
drinking contaminated food and water.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to cadmium?
Tests are available in some medical laboratories that
measure cadmium in blood, urine, hair, or nails.
Blood levels show recent exposure to cadmium, and
urine levels show both recent and earlier exposure. Urine
tests can indicate kidney damage. The reliability of tests
for cadmium levels in hair or nails is unknown.
Tests are available to measure cadmium in your liver
and kidney. The tests are expensive, but can help a doctor
evaluate your risk of kidney disease.
Where can I get more information?
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows
5 parts of cadmium per billion parts of drinking water
(5 ppb). The EPA also limits how much cadmium can
enter lakes, rivers, waste sites, and cropland. The EPA
does not allow cadmium in pesticides.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the
amount of cadmium in food colors to 15 parts of cadmium
per million parts of food color (15 ppm).
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) now limits workplace air to 100
micrograms (pg) cadmium per cubic meter (m3) as
cadmium fumes and 200 pg cadmium/m3 as cadmium dust.
OSHA is planning to limit all cadmium compounds to
either 1 or 5 pg/m3.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) currently recommends that workers
breathe as little cadmium as possible.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
PPM: Parts per million.
PPB: Parts per billion.
Microgram (pg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for cadmium.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Cadmium toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=, TSDR
CHROMIUM
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about chromium. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is chromium?
(Pronounced kro' me - um)
Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in
rocks, soil, plants, animals, and in volcanic dust and gases.
Chromium has three main forms—chromium(0), .
chromium(III), and chromium(VI). Chromium(III)
compounds are stable and occur naturally, in the
environment. Chromium(0) does not occur naturally and
chromium (VI) occurs only rarely. Chromium compounds
have no taste or odor.
Chromium(III) is an essential nutrient in our diet, but
we need only a very small amount. Other forms of
chromium are not needed by our bodies.
Chromium is used for making steel and other alloys,
bricks in furnaces, and dyes and pigments, and for chrome
plating, leather tanning, and wood preserving.
What happens to chromium when it enters the
environment?
❑ Manufacturing, disposal of products or chemicals
containing chromium, or burning of fossil fuels release
chromium to the air, soil, and water.
❑ Chromium particles settle from air in less than 10 days.
❑ Chromium sticks strongly to soil particles.
❑ Most chromium in water sticks to dirt particles that fall to
the bottom; only a small amount dissolves.
❑ Small amounts move from soil to groundwater.
❑ Fish don't take up or store chromium in their bodies.
How might I be exposed to chromium?
❑ Breathing contaminated workplace air (stainless steel
welding, chromate or chrome pigment production,
chrome plating, leather tanning)
❑ Handling or breathing sawdust from chromium treated
wood
❑ Breathing contaminated air, or ingesting water, or food
from soil near waste sites or industries that use chromium
❑ Very small amounts of chromium(III) are in everyday
foods.
How can chromium affect my health?
All forms of chromium can be toxic at high levels, but
chromium(VI) is more toxic than chromium(III).
Breathing very high levels of chromium(VI) in air can
damage and irritate your nose, lungs, stomach, and
intestines. People who are allergic to chromium may also
have asthma attacks after breathing high levels of either
chromium(VI) or (lII).
Long term exposures to high or moderate levels of
chromium(VI) cause damage to the nose (bleeding, itching,
sores) and lungs, and can increase your risk of non -cancer
lung diseases.
Page 2 CHROMIUM
Ingesting very large amounts of chromium can cause
stomach upsets and ulcers, convulsions, kidney and liver
damage, and even death.
We don't know if chromium harms the fetus or our
ability to reproduce. Mice that ingested large amounts of
chromium had reproductive problems and offspring with
birth defects.
Skin contact with liquids or solids containing
chromium(VI) may lead to skin ulcers. Some people have
allergic reactions including severe redness and swelling.
How likely is chromium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services has
determined that certain chromium(VI) compounds are
known carcinogens. This is based on increased lung cancer
in some workers who were exposed to chromium. Animal
studies also indicate chromium(VI) is a carcinogen. We do
not have enough data to determine if chromium(0) or
chromium(III) are carcinogens.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to chromium?
Chromium can be measured in the hair, urine, serum,
red blood cells, and whole blood.
Tests for chromium exposure are most useful for people
exposed to high levels. These tests cannot determine the
exact levels of chromium you were exposed to or predict
how the levels in your tissues will affect your health.
Skin patch tests may indicate if you are allergic to
chromium.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a
maximum level for chromium(III) and chromium(VI) in
drinking water of 100 micrograms of chromium per liter of
water (100 pg/L).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) sets limits for an 8 -hour workday, 40 -hour
workweek of 500 micrograms chromium per cubic meter
(gg/m3) for water-soluble chromic [chromium(IIl)] or
chromous [chromium(II)] salts and 1,000 Vg/M3 for metallic
chromium [chromium(0)], and insoluble salts. Chromic acid
and chromium(VI) compounds in the workplace air should
not be higher than 100 gg/m3 for any period of time.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends an exposure limit of 500
pg /m3 for chromium(0), chromium(II), and chromium(III)
for a 10 -hour workday, 40 -hour workweek. NIOSH
considers all chromium(VI) compounds to be potential
occupational carcinogens, and recommends an exposure
limit of 1 gg/m3 for a 10 -hour workday, 40 -hour workweek.
The National Research Council (NRC) recommends a
dietary intake of chromium(III) of 50-200 gg/day. In the
United States, severe chromium deficiency is rare, but
marginal deficiency may be more common. Chromium(III)
is believed to help insulin maintain normal glucose levels.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram (gg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for chromium.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Chromium toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
_ TSDR
CHLOROFORM
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about chloroform. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is chloroform?
(Pronounced klo' ro-form)
Chloroform is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor
and a slight, sweet taste. It is a naturally occurring
compound, but most of the chloroform that gets into our
environment is manufactured. It is also called
trichloromethane.
Chloroform is used to make other compounds. Small
amounts are also formed when chlorine is added to water
Chlorine is used as a disinfectant for sewage treatment
plants, drinking water treatment, and in swimming pools
and spas. It is also used as a bleach in paper mills.
There are many ways for chloroform to enter the
environment, so small amounts are likely to be found
almost everywhere.
What happens to chloroform when it enters
the environment?
❑ Chloroform enters the air and water from factories,
leaky storage containers, and waste disposal.
❑ It evaporates very quickly, so it's mostly in air.
❑ It's a small molecule that dissolves easily in water.
❑ It can travel through soil to groundwater.
❑ It breaks down slowly in air (over many months) and
very slowly in water (over many years).
❑ It can remain in groundwater a long time.
❑ It doesn't build up in plants and animals.
How might I be exposed to chloroform?
❑ Very low levels in most air and water
❑ Higher levels from breathing contaminated air or
drinking contaminated water around landfills or
hazardous waste sites
❑ Breathing indoor air around heated water
❑ Breathing contaminated workplace air (industrial or
water treatment sites, drinking water treatment plants,
waste burning sites, paper and pulp mills)
❑ From skin contact with contaminated water when
swimming or bathing.
How can chloroform affect my health?
The health effects of chloroform are similar whether it
is breathed or ingested. The effects of chloroform depend
on how much gets in your body.
In large amounts, chloroform may damage your central
nervous system, liver, and kidneys.
Page 2 CHLOROFORM
Exposure to very high levels (8,000-10,000 parts of
chlomform.per million parts of air; 8,000-10,000 ppm)
will likely result in unconsciousness and death. Breathing
high levels in the air (900 ppm) for a short time may cause
tiredness, dizziness, or headaches. These levels are several
hundred thousand times higher than the background levels
in air. Background levels are from 0.02 to 0.05 parts of
chloroform per billion parts of air (0.02-0.05 ppb).
Background levels in water are from 2-44 ppb.
If you continually breathe air, eat food, or drink water
that contains sufficient chloroform, you may damage your
liver and kidneys.
When chloroform comes in direct contact with your
skin, it can cause sores.
We don't know whether chloroform affects
reproduction or causes birth defects in humans.
In animal studies, moderate amounts (300 ppm) of
chloroform affected reproduction. Male mice had
abnormal sperm. Female rats and mice, when exposed to
chloroform during pregnancy, aborted their fetuses or had
higher numbers of offspring with birth defects.
How likely is chloroform to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services has
determined that chloroform may reasonably be anticipated
to be a carcinogen. Human data is lacking, but animal
studies showed an increase in liver and kidney cancer from
daily eating or drinking over a long time of food and water
containing chloroform in the 60-200 ppm range.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to chloroform?
Tests are available to measure the amount of
Where can I get more information?
chloroform in breath, blood, urine, and,body tissues. The
tests can't determine how much,chlor,oform you were
exposed to or whether you will -have any health,effects.
These tests must be performed soon, after the exposure,
because chloroform leaves the body quickly. Since
chloroform is a breakdown product of other chemicals, the
presence of chloroform in your body might also indicate
that you have come into contact with other chemicals.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits
exposure to total trihalomethanes, which include
chloroform, in drinking water to 100 micrograms per liter
(pg/l-). EPA requires that spills of 10, pounds or more of
chloroform be reported to the federal government.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) sets an occupational exposure limit of 2 ppm for
an 8 -hour workday for persons who work with chloroform.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram (µg): One millionth of a gram.
PPM: Parts per million.
PPB: Parts per billion.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for chloroform.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
A
DR
CYANIDE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about cyanide. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous, substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is cyanide?
(Pronounced si' ah - nid)
Cyanides are compounds that contain a nitrogen and a
carbon atom bound in a special way. Most cyanides come
from industrial processes and are hazardous.
Hydrogen cyanide is used extensively in the chemical
industry to make nylon and other chemicals. It is a
colorless gas with a faint, bitter, almond -like odor.
Metal -cyanides (sodium cyanide and potassium
cyanide) are used in electroplating and metallurgy.
Small amounts of cyanide occur naturally in almonds,
lima beans, and cassava, and in the pits from apricots and
peaches. Certain bacteria, fungi, and algae also produce
cyanides.
Vitamin B-12 contains a very small amount of cyanide.
Vitamin B-12 is an essential vitamin in our diet that
prevents anemia (iron -poor blood). The cyanide in vitamin
B-12 is tightly bound and not harmful.
What happens to cyanide when it enters the
environment?
❑ Hydrogen cyanide can remain in the air for several
years and travel long distances.
❑ Cyanides in water and soil form hydrogen cyanide that
goes into the air.
1:7Y
In
❑ Small organisms in water and soil convert some of the
cyanides to less harmful chemicals; some form metal -
cyanides.
❑ Cyanides generally don't move from the soil to
underground water supplies unless large amounts seep
from a waste site.
❑ Cyanides aren't stored in the bodies of fish.
How might I be exposed to cyanide?
❑ Working in factories where cyanide is produced
❑ Breathing car exhaust, the main source of cyanide
released to the air, mostly as hydrogen cyanide
❑ Breathing contaminated air or water near industrial
discharges or waste sites
❑ Breathing tobacco smoke which contains small
amounts of cyanide
❑ Eating some foods such as cassava, almonds, or apricot
and peach pits.
How can cyanide affect my health?
Cyanide affects the ability of our tissues to use oxygen.
Health effects are similar whether cyanides are breathed,
ingested, or come in contact with skin. Rapid damage to
the central nervous system and the heart results from
breathing high levels of cyanide over a short time.
Symptoms include difficulty breathing, irregular heart
beat, uncontrolled movement, convulsions, coma, and
Page 2 CYANIDE
possibly death. Breathing lesser amounts for a longer time
can also be life-threatening.
At lower levels of exposure, some workers had
breathing difficulties, pain in the heart area, vomiting,
blood changes, headaches, and enlarged thyroid glands.
Some people in the tropics eat cassava roots as a main
part of their diet. Some of these people had high cyanide
levels in their blood. Some also had nerve damage. We
don't know whether cyanide or other chemicals contributed
to these effects.
The levels of cyanide in the U.S. diet are thought to be
low, but some children who ate apricot pits showed signs
of cyanide poisoning. Symptoms included rapid breathing,
low blood pressure, headaches, and coma. Some of the
children died.
Skin contact with hydrogen cyanide or cyanide salts
can produce skin irritation and sores in some people.
How likely is cyanide to cause cancer?
EPA has determined that cyanide is not classifiable as
to its human carcinogenicity.
Cyanide is not classifiable because there are not
sufficient data on cyanide's ability to cause cancer in
humans or in animals.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to cyanide?
Blood and urine levels of cyanide and thiocyanate, a
compound produced from cyanide, can be measured.
Small amounts of these compounds are always in the body
so these measurements are only useful when you are
exposed to large amounts of cyanide. We do not know the
exact cyanide exposure levels that result in certain levels
of cyanide or thiocyanate in body fluids.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows
200 micrograms of cyanide per liter of water (pg/L). The
amount of hydrogen cyanide allowed in stored foods
treated with cyanide to control pests is from 25 parts of
cyanide per million parts of food (25 ppm) for dried beans,
peas, and nuts, to 250 ppm for spices. EPA requires that
industries report spills of 10 pounds or more of hydrogen
cyanide, potassium cyanide, or sodium cyanide.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) allows 5 milligrams of cyanide per cubic meter of
air (5 mg/m3) averaged over an 8 -hour workday, 40 -hour
workweek.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram(µg): One millionth of a gram.
PPM: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for cyanide.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Cyanide toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
1,4-DICHLOROBENZENE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about 1,4 -dichlorobenzene. For
more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is 1,4 -dichlorobenzene?
(Pronounced di - klo"ro - ben'zen)
1,4 -Dichlorobenzene is a chemical used to control
moths, molds, and mildew, and to deodorize restrooms and
waste containers. It is also called para -DCB or p -DCB.
Other names include Paramoth, para crystals, and paracide
reflecting its widespread use to kill moths.
At room temperature, p -DCB is a white or colorless
solid with a strong, pungent odor. When exposed to air, it
slowly changes from a solid to a vapor. It is the vapor that
acts as a deodorizer or insect killer.
Most people recognize the odor as the smell of
mothballs, and can smell p -DCB in the air at very low
levels.
Most p -DCB in our environment comes from its use in
moth repellent products and in toilet deodorizer blocks.
What happens to 1,4 -dichlorobenzene when it
enters the environment?
❑ In air, it breaks down to harmless products in about a
month.
Cl It does not dissolve easily in water.
❑ It evaporates easily from water and soil, so most is
found in the air.
❑ It is not easily broken down by soil organisms.
7]]
Cl It is taken up and retained by plants and fish.
How might I be exposed to
1,4 -dichlorobenzene?
❑ Breathing indoor air in public restrooms and homes
that use p -DCB as a deodorizer
❑ Breathing air around some mothballs (check the label)
❑ Breathing workplace air where p -DCB is
manufactured
❑ Drinking contaminated water around hazardous waste
sites
❑ Eating foods such as pork, chicken, and eggs that are
contaminated with p -DCB from its use as an odor
control product in animal stalls
❑ Eating fish from contaminated waters
❑ Infants can be exposed by drinking human breast milk
from mothers exposed to p -DCB.
How can 1,4 -dichlorobenzene affect my
health?
There is no evidence that moderate use of common
household products that contain p -DCB will result in
harmful effects to your health. Harmful effects, however,
may'occur from high exposures.
Page 2 1,4 -DICHLOROBENZENE
Very high usage of p -DCB products in the home can
result in dizziness, headaches, and liver problems. Some
of the patients who developed these symptoms had been
using the products for months or even years after they first
began to feel ill.
Workers breathing high levels of p -DCB (1,000 times
more than levels in deodorized rooms) have reported
painful irritation of the nose and eyes.
There are cases of people who have eaten p -DCB
products regularly for months to years because of the
sweet taste. These people had skin blotches and lower
numbers of red blood cells.
There is no direct evidence that p -DCB can cause birth
defects or affect reproduction in humans.
Animal studies indicate that breathing or eating p -DCB
can harm the liver, kidney, and blood.
We have no studies on the health effects from skin
contact with p -DCB.
How likely is 1,4 -dichlorobenzene to cause
cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that p -DCB may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen.
There is no direct evidence that p -DCB can cause
cancer in humans,. However, animals given very high
amounts in water developed liver and kidney tumors.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to 1,4 -dichlorobenzene?
Tests are available to measure your exposure to
p -DCB. The most common test measures a breakdown
product of p -DCB called 2,5-dichlorophenolurine. It is
measured in the urine and blood.
Where can I get more information?
If there is 2,5-dichlorophenol in the urine, it indicates
that the person was exposed to p -DCB within the previous
day or two. The test that measures p -DCB in your blood is
less common.
These tests require special equipment not routinely
available in a doctor's office. You or your doctor will need
to send samples to a special laboratory.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists
p -DCB as a hazardous waste to be regulated. The EPA
sets a maximum level of 75 micrograms of p -DCB per liter
of drinking water (75 µg/L). One pg is one million times
less than a gram. p -DCB is also an EPA -registered
pesticide. Manufacturers must provide certain information
to EPA for it to be used as a pesticide.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) sets a maximum level of 75
parts of p -DCB per million parts air in the workplace
(75 ppm) for an 8 -hour day, 40 -hour workweek.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram (µg): One millionth of a gram.
PPM: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for
1,4 -dichlorobenzene. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
DEHP
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about DEHP. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is DEHP or di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate?
(Pronounced di 2 - eth"il - hex"sil - thal"ate)
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate is a manufactured chemical
that makes plastic more flexible. It is also called DEHP.
DEHP is a colorless liquid with almost no odor.
DEHP is in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic products
like toys, vinyl upholstery, shower curtains, adhesives, and
coatings. Vinyl plastic may contain up to 40% DEHP.
DEHP is also used in inks, pesticides, cosmetics, and
vacuum pump oil. It is used to detect leaks in protective
face gear, and as a test material for filtration systems.
Trade names for DEHP are Platinol DOP, Octoil,
Silicol 150, Bisoflex 81, and Eviplast 80.
What happens to DEHP when it enters the
environment?
❑ DEHP is everywhere in the environment because of its
use in plastics, but it evaporates into air and dissolves
into water at very low rates.
❑ DEHP from plastic materials, coatings, and flooring
can increase indoor air levels.
❑ It dissolves faster in water if gas, oil, or paint removers
are present.
❑ It attaches strongly to soil particles.
❑ Small organisms in surface water or soil break it down
into harmless compounds.
❑ It doesn't break down easily in deep soil, or in lake or
river bottoms.
❑ It is in plants, fish, and other animals, but animals high
on the food chain are able to breakdown DEHP, so
tissue levels are usually low.
How might I be exposed to DEHP?
DEHP is usually present at very. low levels even in the
sources of potentially higher exposures listed below.
❑ Use of medical products packaged in plastic such as
blood products
❑ Eating some foods packaged in plastics, especially fatty
foods like milk products, fish and seafood, oils, but
levels still usually quite low
❑ Drinking well water near waste sites, but levels usually
are low
❑ Breathing workplace air or indoor air where DEHP is
released, but usually not at levels of concern
❑ Fluids from plastic intravenous tubing if used
extensively as for kidney dialysis.
Page 2 DEHP
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
How can DEHP affect my health?
There is no evidence that DEHP causes serious health
effects in humans. Most of what we know about the health
effects of DEHP comes from high exposures to rats and
mice.
Adverse effects in animals were generally seen only at
high doses or with long term exposures. You are not
likely to be exposed to these very high levels. Moreover,
absorption and breakdown of DEHP in humans is different
than in rats and mice, so the effects seen in rats and mice
may not occur in humans.
The studies in rats and mice with DEHP in the air
produced no serious harmful effects. There was no effect
on lifespan or the ability to reproduce.
Brief exposure to very high levels of DEHP in food or
water damaged sperm, but the effect reversed when DEHP
was removed from the diet. Longer exposures to high
doses affected the ability of both males and females to
reproduce and caused birth defects.
High levels of DEHP damaged the livers of rats and
mice. Long exposures of rats to DEHP caused kidney
damage similar to the damage seen in the kidneys of
long-term dialysis patients. Whether or not DEHP
contributes to human kidney damage, is unclear at present.
You should have no health effects from skin contact
with products containing DEHP because it cannot be taken
up easily through the skin.
How likely is DEHP to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that DEHP may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen. There is no evidence that
DEHP causes cancer in humans, but high exposures in rats
and mice increased liver cancer. Based on these studies,
DEHP has been classified as a potential carcinogen.
Where can I get more information?
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to DEHP?
A test is available that measures a breakdown product
of DEHP called mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP).
MEHP is measured in your urine or blood. This test is
good only for recent exposures because DEHP remains in
your body for only a short time.
These tests require special equipment that is not
routinely available in a doctor's office.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a
limit of 6 parts DEHP per billion parts of drinking water
(6 ppb).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the
types of food packaging materials contair_ing DEHP.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) limits the average level of DEHP in workplace air
to 5 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) over an 8 -hour
workday and 10 mg/m3 for a 15 -minute exposure.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has established the same
guidelines as the OSHA regulations for the workplace.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into you body.
PPB: Parts per billion.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for
di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Ada-tta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
FLUORIDES, HYDROGEN
FLUORIDE, AND FLUORINE (F)
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about fluorides, hydrogen
fluoride, and fluorine. For more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in
a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is
important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous
substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and
whether other chemicals are present.
not
What are fluorides, hydrogen fluoride, and
fluorine?
(Pronounced flo' o ( rids, hy'dro - jen
flolo-rids, flo o - ren)
Fluorides, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine are
chemically related. Fluorine is a pale, yellow -green gas that
has a strong, sharp odor. It combines with hydrogen to
make hydrogen fluoride, a colorless gas. Hydrogen fluoride
dissolves in water to form hydrofluoric acid.
Fluorine also combines with metals to make fluorides
like sodium fluoride and calcium fluoride, both white
solids. Sodium fluoride dissolves easily in water, but
calcium fluoride doesn't.
Fluorine is used in rocket fuels, glass, enamel, and
bricks. Hydrogen fluoride is used mainly to make
aluminum and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Fluorides are
used in making steel, chemicals, ceramics, lubricants, dyes,
plastics, and pesticides (for ants and roaches).
Toothpaste and mouth rinses have fluorides added to
prevent cavities. If drinking water supplies are low in
fluoride, many communities add fluorides to help prevent
cavities. Some skin medicines and cancer treatment drugs
also contain fluorides.
What happens to fluorides, hydrogen
fluoride, and fluorine when they enter the
environment?
❑ Fluorine forms salts with minerals in soil, and doesn't
evaporate back into air as a gas.
❑ Fluorides in released to the air from volcanoes and
industry are carried by wind and rain to nearby water,
soil, and food sources.
❑ They erode from rocks into soil and water, and leach
from phosphorus fertilizers into food and water
supplies.
❑ Some plants take up and store fluorides in their leaves
and stems.
How might I be exposed to fluorides, hydrogen
fluoride, and fluorine?
❑ Breathing workplace air where fluorides are used or
released
❑ Eating food from soil with high natural levels or high
levels from fertilizers or nearby waste sites
❑ Eating toothpaste that contains fluorides
❑ Drinking contaminated water
❑ Ingesting contaminated soil particles.
Page 2 FLUORIDES, HYDROGEN
FLUORIDE, AND FLUORINE (F)
How can fluorides, hydrogen fluoride, and
fluorine affect my health?
Fluorides are everywhere throughout the environment,
but at very low levels that are not believed to be harmful.
At high levels, fluorine gas and hydrogen fluoride gas
can harm the lungs and heart and can cause death. Even at
low levels, these gases can irritate your eyes, skin, and
lungs. Contact with hydrofluoric acid can burn the eyes
and skin. This mainly happens in the workplace.
Small amounts of sodium fluoride help reduce tooth
cavities, but high levels can harm your health. In children
whose teeth are forming, high fluoride exposure can cause
dental fluorosis with visible changes in the teeth. In
adults, high fluoride over a long time can lead to skeletal
fluorosis with denser bones, joint pain, and a limited joint
movement. This is extremely rare in the U.S.
We don't know the effects of fluoride on reproduction
or developing fetuses. Cows and various birds are known
to have reproductive problems when they eat or drink large
amounts of fluoride. The results from laboratory studies in
animal are mixed.
How likely are fluorides, hydrogen fluoride,
and fluorine to cause cancer?
Fluorine, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorides have not
been classified for carcinogenic effects. Studies in people
have not shown fluorides to be carcinogenic, and the
studies in animals are mixed. More research is in progress.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to fluorides, hydrogen fluoride,
and fluorine?
Tests are available to determine recent high exposures
to fluorides. The test measures fluorides in the urine. This
test cannot predict any specific health effects from fluoride
Where can I get more information?
exposure. Most laboratories that test for chemical
exposure can perform the test. Bone sampling is done in
special cases to measure along -term exposure to fluorides.
Because fluorine, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorides all enter
the body as fluoride, these tests do not distinguish the
source of the fluoride.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a
maximum amount of 4 milligrams fluoride per liter of
drinking water (4 mg/L). EPA recommends that states
limit fluoride in drinking water to 2 mg/L. Spills of more
than 10 pounds of fluorine, 100 pounds of hydrogen
fluoride, or 1,000 pounds of sodium fluoride must be
reported to the National Response Center.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) limits an 8 -hour work day, 40 -hour work week to
0.2 milligrams of fluorides per cubic mete- air (0.2 mg/m3).
The level for hydrogen fluoride is 2.5 mg/m3. The highest
level of fluoride allowed by OSHA for an 8 -hour work day,
40 -hour work week is 2.5 mg/m3.
Glossary
Carcinogenic: Ability to cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for fluorides,
hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine (F). Atlanta: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop &29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
TSDR
HEPTACHLOR AND
HEPTACHLOR EPDXIDE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about heptachlor and heptachlor
epoxide. For more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of
summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend
on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other
chemicals are present.
Y:
What are heptachlor/heptachlor epoxide?
(Pronounced h�p'tah - klor,
hep'tah - klor e - pok'sid)
Heptachlor is a manufactured chemical and doesn't
occur naturally. Pure heptachlor is a white powder that
smells like camphor (mothballs). The less pure grade is
tan. Trade names include Heptagran, Basaklor, Drinox,
Soleptax, Termide, and Velsicol 104.
Heptachlor was used extensively in the past for killing
insects in homes, buildings, and on food crops, especially
corn. Use slowed in the 1970s and stopped in 1988.
Heptachlor epoxide is also a white powder and is a
breakdown product of heptachlor. The epoxide is more
likely to be found in the environment than heptachlor.
What happens to heptachlor and heptachlor
epoxide when they enter the environment?
❑ Heptachlor doesn't dissolve easily in water; heptachlor
epoxide dissolves more easily.
❑ They stick strongly to soil particles and evaporate
slowly to air.
❑ Heptachlor epoxide can stay in the soil and water for
many years.
❑ Animals change heptachlor to the epoxide
❑ Plants can take up heptachlor from the soil.
❑ Levels build up in the tissues of fish and cattle.
How might I be exposed to heptachlor and
heptachlor epoxide?
❑ Eating crops grown in soil that contains heptachlor
❑ Eating fish, dairy products, and fatty meats from
animals exposed to heptachlor in their food
❑ Breathing air, drinking water, or skin contact with soil
near waste sites or landfills
❑ Breast milk (from mothers who had high exposures).
How can heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide
affect my health?
Heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide are clearly toxic to
humans and animals and can damage the nervous system.
There are some human data on brief exposures to high
levels. A few human case reports showed that people who
accidentally swallowed pesticide that contained
heptachlor, or who spilled pesticide on their clothes
became dizzy, confused, or had convulsions.
Most of what we know about the health effects of these
pesticides comes from studies on mice and rats fed
heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide in the food or water.
Page 2 HEPTACHLOR AND
HEPTACHLOR EPDXIDE
Very high levels for short periods produce serious
liver problems. Mice had trouble walking and rats
developed tremors. High levels of heptachlor in the feed
for several weeks damaged the livers of rats and the livers
and adrenal glands of mice.
We do not know if heptachlor or the epoxide affect the
ability of men or women to have children. Animals that
ate food containing heptachlor before and/or during
pregnancy had smaller litters or were unable to reproduce.
Some of the offspring had cataracts and some didn't live
long after birth.
How likely are heptachlor and heptachlor
epoxide to cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has
determined that heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide are not
classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans because
insufficient data are available to establish a clear
assessment.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to heptachlor and heptachlor
epoxide?
Laboratory tests can measure heptachlor and heptachlor
epoxide following exposure to high levels. The blood tests
for these chemicals must be done within a short period
after exposure. Levels in fat can be measured for a much
longer period after exposure. If heptachlor or heptachlor
epoxide are found in your fat, it isn't possible to tell
exactly when you were exposed to these chemicals or if
harmful health effects will occur.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
banned the sale of all heptachlor products and restricted
Where can I get more information?
the use of heptachlor to the control of fire ants in power
transformers.
EPA recommends a maximum of 2.78 parts of
heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide per trillion parts of
drinking water or seafood (2.78 ppt) that you eat each day.
For up to 10 days, a child should not drink water with
greater than 10,000 ppt heptachlor. For longer exposures,
a child should not drink water with greater than 5,000 ppt
heptachlor or 150 ppt heptachlor epoxide. Quantities
greater than 1 pound of heptachlor or heptachlor epoxide
that enter the environment must immediately be reported
to the National Response Center.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the
amount of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide on raw food
crops and on edible seafood to from 0-10 parts per billion
(ppb), depending on the type of food product. The limit on
edible seafood is 300 ppb, and for the fat of food -
producing animals is 200 ppb.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommend
a maximum in workplace air over an 8 -hour workday for a
40 -hour work week of 0.5 milligrams of heptachlor per
cubic meter (0.5 mg/m3).
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Milligram (mg): One thousandths of a gram.
PPT: Parts per trillion.
PPB: Parts per billion
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for heptachlor and
heptachlor epoxide. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
A
DR
LEAD
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about lead. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is lead?
(Pronounced led)
Lead is a naturally occurring bluish -gray metal found
in small amounts in the earth's crust. It has no special taste
or smell. Lead can be found in all parts of our
environment. Most of it came from human activities like
mining, manufacturing, and the burning of fossil fuels.
Lead has many different uses, most importantly in the
production of batteries. Lead is also in ammunition, metal
products (solder and pipes), roofing, and devices to shield
x-rays.
Because of health concerns, lead from gasoline, paints
and ceramic products, caulking, and pipe solder has been
dramatically reduced in recent years.
What happens to lead when it enters the
environment?
❑ Lead itself does not break down, but lead compounds
are changed by sunlight, air, and water.
Cl When released to the air from industry or burning of
fossil fuels or waste, it stays in air about 10 days.
❑ Most of the lead in soil comes from particles falling out
of the air.
❑ City soils also contain lead from landfills and leaded
paint.
❑ Lead slicks to soil particles.
❑ It does not move from soil to underground water or
drinking water unless the water is acidic or "soft."
❑ It stays a long time in both soil and water.
How might I be exposed to lead?
❑ Breathing workplace air (lead smelting, refining, and
manufacturing industries)
❑ Eating lead-based paint chips
❑ Drinking water that comes from lead pipes or lead
soldered fittings
❑ Breathing or ingesting contaminated soil, dust, air, or
water near waste sites
❑ Breathing tobacco smoke
❑ Eating contaminated food grown on soil containing
lead or food covered with lead -containing dust
❑ Breathing fumes or ingesting lead from hobbies that
use lead (leaded -glass, ceramics).
How can lead affect my health?
Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your
body. The most sensitive is the central nervous system,
particularly in children. Lead also damages kidneys and
the immune system. The effects are the same whether it is
breathed or swallowed.
Exposure to lead is more dangerous for young and
unborn children. Unborn children can be exposed to lead
through their mothers. Harmful effects include premature
Page 2 ' ' LEAD .
births, smaller babies, decreased mental ability in the
infant, learning difficulties, and reduced growth in young
children. These effects are more common after exposure
to high levels of lead.
In adults, lead may decrease reaction time, cause
weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles, and possibly affect
the memory. Lead may cause anemia, a disorder of the
blood. It can cause abortion and damage the male
reproductive system. The connection between these
effects and exposure to low levels of lead is uncertain.
How likely is lead to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that lead acetate and lead
phosphate may reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens
based on studies in animals. There is inadequate evidence
to clearly determine lead's carcinogenicity in humans.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to lead?
A blood test is available to measure the amount of lead
in your blood and to estimate the amount of your exposure
to lead. Blood tests are commonly used to screen children
for potential chronic lead poisoning. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers children
to have an elevated level of lead if the amount in the blood
is at least 10 micrograms per deciliter (10 pg/dL). Lead in
teeth and bones can be measured with X-rays, but this test
is not as readily available.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) recommends all children be screened for lead
poisoning at least once a year. This is especially important
for children between 6 months and 6 years old.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
requires lead in air not to exceed 1.5 micrograms per cubic
meter (1.5 gg/m3) averaged over 3 months. The sale of
leaded gasoline will be illegal as of December 31, 1995.
EPA limits lead in drinking water to 15 pg per liter.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
EPA, and the states control the levels of lead in drinking
water coolers. Water coolers that release lead must be
recalled or repaired. New coolers must be lead-free.
Drinking water in schools must be tested for lead.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) requires that federally funded housing and
renovations, public housing, and Indian housing be tested
for lead-based paint hazards. Hazards must be fixed by
covering the paint or removing it.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) limits the concentration of lead in workroom air to
50 Pg/M3 for an 8 -hour workday. If a worker has a blood
lead level of 40 gg/dL, OSHA requires that worker to be
removed from the workroom.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Anemia: Low numbers of red blood cells or hemoglobin.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram (pg): One millionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for lead. Atlanta:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease- Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Lead toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
P
DR
METHYLENE
CHLORIDE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about methylene chloride. For
more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is methylene chloride? ❑ Some drinking water has been shown to contain small
(Pronounced meth" i - len klo' rid) amounts of methylene chloride.
Methylene chloride is a colorless liquid with a mild, ❑ Plants and aquatic organisms do not appear to store it.
sweet odor. Another name for it is dichloromethane.
It does not occur naturally in the environment. It's made
from methane gas or wood alcohol. It's widely used as a
solvent in paint strippers, as a propellant in aerosols, and as a
process solvent in the manufacturing of drugs. It's also used
as a metal cleaning and finishing solvent.
Most methylene chloride gets in the environment from
its use in industry and from home use of aerosols and paint
removers. Because of concern over the health effects, its use
in aerosols has declined.
Methylene chloride is approved as an extraction solvent
for spices and hops. It used to be popular for removing
caffeine from coffee, but most coffee producers no longer
use it.
What happens to methylene chloride when it
enters the environment?
❑ It evaporates very easily, so it's found mostly in air.
❑ More than 99 percent of the methylene chloride in air
comes from industry and consumer products.
❑ It doesn't stick to soil particles or dissolve in water, so
it moves from both soil and water to air.
❑ Soil and water organisms break it down to simpler
compounds.
How might I be exposed to methylene chloride?
❑ Breathing workplace air where it is used
❑ Breathing fumes from paint strippers that contain it
(check the label)
❑ Breathing fumes from aerosol cans that use it (check
the label)
❑ Breathing contaminated air near waste sites.
How can methylene chloride affect my health?
Methylene chloride harms the human central nervous
system.
High levels in the air (nearly 1,000 times average
levels) may affect your ability to react fast, remain steady, or
perform tasks that require precise hand movements. If you
continue to breathe high levels, you may get:
❑ dizziness
❑ nausea
❑ tingling
❑ numbness in the fingers and toes.
In most cases, these effects will stop shortly after
exposure ends. In animals, however, very high
exposures have caused unconsciousness and death.
Exposure to lower levels of methylene chloride in air
can lead to slightly impaired hearing and vision. Many
Page 2 METHYLENE
CHLORIDE
people can smell methylene chloride at these lower levels.
However, people differ in their ability to smell methylene
chloride, so odors may not help you avoid an unwanted
exposure.
In humans, direct skin contact with methylene chloride
causes intense burning and mild redness of the skin. Direct
contact with the eyes can burn the cornea. In animals that
have been exposed to vapors or directly to methylene
chloride, the cornea was damaged. The damage healed
within a few days after the exposure ended.
How likely is methylene chloride to cause
cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
has determined that methylene chloride may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen. Methylene chloride has not
been shown to cause cancer in humans exposed to vapors in
the workplace. However, breathing high concentrations of it
for long periods did increase the incidence of cancer in mice.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to methylene chloride?
Several tests measure exposure to methylene chloride.
These tests are not routinely available in your doctor's office.
The most direct test measures methylene chloride in the
air you breathe out. Your blood can also be tested to
determine if methylene chloride is present. Since it stays in
the blood a very short time, you must have these tests soon
after exposure.
Doctors can also test urine for methylene chloride or for
chemicals such as formic acid that are produced as
methylene chloride breaks down in the body.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
requires that releases of methylene chloride of 1,000 pounds
or more be reported to the federal government. The EPA has
guidelines as to how much of this chemical you may be
exposed and for how long without harming your health.
EPA recommends that children not drink water that contains
more than 13.3 parts of methylene chloride per million parts
of water (13.3 ppm) for longer than 1 day or with more than
1.5 ppm for longer than 10 days.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
established limits on how much methylene chloride can
remain in spice, hops extract, and decaffeinated coffee.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) proposes to reduce the current occupational
exposure limits to methylene chloride in air. The limit
would go from 500 ppm to 25 ppm for an 8 -hour workday.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) currently recommends a permissible limit
of 75 ppm of methylene chloride in the air over a 10 -hour
workday in the presence of carbon monoxide concentrations
less than or equal to 9.9 ppm.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
PPM: Parts per million.
Comea: The clear front part of the eye.
Propellant: The gas used in spray cans to force out the
contents of the can.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for methylene
chloride. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1990. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Methylene chloride toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Heald Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact community or state health or
environmental quality departments if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
_ TSDR
NICKEL
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about nickel. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is nickel?
(Pronounced nik'el)
Nickel is a naturally -occurring, hard, silvery white
metal. It is the 24th most abundant mineral in the earth's
crust and can be found in all soils.
Nickel combines with other metals to form mixtures
called alloys. The most common nickel alloy is nickel -
iron which is used to make stainless steel. Other nickel
alloys are used to make coins, jewelry, plumbing and
heating equipment, gas -turbine engines, and electrodes.
Nickel also forms compounds with chlorine, sulfur, and
oxygen. These compounds have no characteristic odor or
taste. Many dissolve easily in water and have a
characteristic green color. Nickel compounds are used for
nickel plating, to color ceramics, and to make some
batteries. They also act as catalysts to increase the rate of
chemical reactions.
What happens to nickel when it enters the
environment?
❑ Nickel from smoke stacks attaches to small dust
particles in the air.
❑ Nickel dust settles to the ground or is washed from the
air by rain or snow.
❑ Removal of nickel particles from the air may take more
than a month.
❑ Most ends up attached to soil or sediment particles.
❑ It may seep into groundwater in acidic soils.
❑ Nickel does not break down, but can change its form.
❑ It doesn't build up in the bodies of fish but may build
up in plants and land animals.
How might I be exposed to nickel?
❑ Breathing workplace air where nickel is used (nickel
mining, smelting, and manufacturing)
❑ Ingesting or skin contact with workplace dust or nickel
containing metals or solutions
❑ From artificial body parts that contain nickel alloys
❑ Breathing, skin contact, or ingesting contaminated soil,
dust, and vegetation near industries that process or use
nickel or that burn fossil fuels
❑ Skin contact with coins and some plated jewelry that
contain nickel
❑ Eating a regular diet but levels are very low.
How can nickel affect my health?
Small amounts of nickel have been shown to be
essential to animal health. Nickel may also be essential for
human health, however, no cases of nickel deficiency in
humans has ever been reported. Although small amounts
Page 2 NICKEL
may be essential, breathing, ingesting, or skin contact with
high levels of nickel can harm your health.
Workers who breathed high levels of nickel had higher
death rates from lung diseases. Cancer of the lung and
nasal sinus are the most serious effects from long term
exposures. Effects on the heart, blood, and kidneys, and
skin rashes are also found. The levels of nickel in these
studies were much higher than most people's exposure.
Ingesting nickel can also be harmful. A child died of
heart failure after accidentally eating 20,360 parts of nickel
per million parts of a nickel compound (20,360 ppm).
Workers drinking nickel contaminated -water from a
fountain (250 ppm) had stomach aches, increased number
of red blood cells, and kidney damage.
The most common health effects from nickel exposure
in the general population are skin allergies. Nickel can
stimulate an allergic response in skin including skin rashes
or asthma. Sensitive people may have a skin rash return if
they later ingest nickel.
It is not known whether eating or breathing nickel will
affect reproduction or cause birth defects in humans.
How likely is nickel to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that nickel and certain nickel
compounds may reasonably be anticipated to be
carcinogens. The ability of some nickel compounds to
cause nasal and lung cancers when inhaled has been well
documented in workers. Animal studies support these
findings.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to nickel?
Tests are routinely available to measure nickel in the
urine, feces, and blood. They must be performed soon
after exposure. The amount of nickel in your feces and
urine indicates your exposure to nickel. Exposures from
water soluble nickel compounds are easier to determine
than from water insoluble compounds. These tests don't
predict the potential health effects from exposure to nickel.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has determined that long-term exposure tc 0.02 milligrams
of nickel per kilogram of body weight per day (0.02
mg/kg/day) in food or drinking water is safe for humans.
This value is for nickel compounds that dissolve easily in
water. EPA requires industry to report a spill of more than
100 pounds of nickel compounds that dissolve easily in
water.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) and the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have both set the
occupational exposure limit for an 8 -hour workday, 40 -hour
workweek at 0.1 milligrams per cubic meter (0.1 mg/m3)
for nickel compounds that dissolve easily in water.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause canker.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into you- body.
Nasal sinus: The air cavities in the nose.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
PPM: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile fcr nickel. Atlanta:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=1
A
D,R
N-NITROSODIPHENYLAMINE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about N-nitrosodiphenylamine.
For more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries
about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this
substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose,
the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are
present.
What is N-nitrosodiphenylamine?
(Pronounced ni - tro" so - di - fen" it - ah - men' )
N-Nitrosodiphenylamine is an industrial compound. It
is an orange -brown or yellow solid that has been produced
since 1945. It is used to make rubber products such as
tires or to make other chemicals.
In the early 1980s, most U.S. rubber manufacturers
replaced it with more efficient chemicals. Today, only
one manufacturer in the United States produces
N-nitrosodiphenylamine. We do not know if it occurs
naturally in the environment. There is some evidence that
microorganisms make it.
What happens to N-nitrosodiphenylamine
when it enters the environment?
O It evaporates slowly to the air or leaks into the ground
from waste sites.
O In air, N-nitrosodiphenylamine attaches to dust
particles and can move with the wind.
O It dissolves in water, but it binds to soil and does not
move quickly through soil.
Cl It breaks down in air, water, and soil within several
weeks.
O We don't know what the breakdown substances are in
humans or whether they are harmful to you.
O We don't find it in our normal drinking water, foods, or
air.
O Water organisms cake some into their bodies, but they
don't appear to build up high levels.
O We don't know if land animals or plants take it up and
store it in their bodies.
How might I be exposed to
N-nitrosodiphenylamine?
O The likelihood of exposure is very low.
O Exposure in the workplace is not likely (only one
company makes it today).
O Drinking water near hazardous waste sites may be
contaminated.
O Touching or breathing contaminated waste or soils near
hazardous waste sites may result in higher exposures.
Page 2 N-NITROSODIPHENYLAMINE
How can N-nitrosodiphenylamine affect my
health?
There is very little information on the effects of
N-nitrosodiphenylamine on human health. There is also
not enough information from animal studies to estimate
how exposure to it will affect your health.
Animal studies have identified levels and exposures
that can cause death. Animals given high levels of
N-nitrosodiphenylamine in their diets for long periods of
time developed swelling, cancer of the bladder, and
changes in body weight. We don't know if these effects
would occur in humans. We also don't know if it can
affect pregnancy or cause birth defects.
How likely is N-nitrosodiphenylamine to
cause cancer?
The Environmental Protection Agency has determined
that N-nitrosodiphenylamine is a probable human
carcinogen. This is based on a long-term study in rats
showing an increase in bladder cancer in the group
exposed to high levels of N-nitrosodiphenylamine. There
is no evidence that it causes bladder cancer in people.
Although EPA has classified N-nitrosodiphenylamine
as a probable carcinogen, the animal data are limited.
Other public health agencies have concluded that no
evaluation of N-nitrosodiphenylamine's carcinogenicity in
people is currently possible. Additional research is
needed.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to N-nitrosodiphenylamine?
No tests are available to determine if you have been
exposed to N-nitrosodiphenylamine. There are tests to
detect N-nitrosodiphenylamine and its breakdown products
in the blood and urine of exposed animals, but these tests
have not been used for people.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommends limits on how much N-nitrosodiphenylamine
can be present in bodies of water such as lakes and rivers.
The recommended levels are 49,000 nanograms or less of
N-nitrosodiphenylamine per liter of water (49,000 ng/L).
One nanogram is one billionth of a gram. At this level,
EPA estimates that your risk of getting cancer is very low.
For drinking water, the EPA sets a limit of 700
micrograms or less of N-nitrosodiphenylamine per liter of
drinking water (700 pg/L). One microgram is one
millionth of a gram. N-nitrosodiphenylamine is also
considered to be a hazardous waste, and the EPA requires
industry to immediately report a spill of more than 100
pounds to the National Response Center of the federal
government.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Ingestion: Taking food or drink into your body.
Microgram (pg): One millionth of a gram.
Nanogram (ng): One billionth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for
N-nitrosodiphenylamine. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=1
P
POLYCHLORINATED
BIPHENYLS (PCBs)
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about PCBs. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
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What are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)?
(Pronounced pol"e - klo'ri - mit - ed - bi - fe'nils)
PCBs are a group of industrial chemicals that share a
common structure. They are oily liquids or solids, clear to
light yellow in color, and with no smell or taste. They
don't occur naturally in the environment. Aroelor is a
popular trade name of a commercial PCB mixture.
PCBs don't burn easily. In the past, they were widely
used as coolants, insulating materials, and lubricants in
electrical equipment like transformers and capacitors. The
U.S. stopped making them in 1977 because of the health
effects associated with exposure. As levels in the
environment increased, the potential for harmful effects
increased.
Pre -1977 products may still contain PCBs. These
include old fluorescent lighting fixtures, electrical devices
or appliances with PCB capacitors, old microscope oil, and
hydraulic fluids.
What happens to PCBs when they enter the
environment?
❑ They enter air as solid or liquid aerosols or vapor and
can stay in air more than 10 days.
❑ When in air, they can travel long distances in the wind.
❑ They move from air to soil and water when it snows or
rains.
❑ Most stick tightly to soil particles; a small amount
dissolves in water.
❑ They take several years to break down in soil.
❑ They are stored in the bodies of fish and seafood.
❑ Levels in fish can be many thousands of times higher
than the levels in water.
How might I be exposed to PCBs?
Cl Breathing workplace air (indoor air around electrical
parts or outdoor air at waste sites)
❑ Drinking water, skin contact with soil, or breathing air
that is contaminated from nearby waste sites
❑ Eating fatty foods such as fish, seafood, dairy, or fatty
meats contaminated with PCBs
❑ Breast milk from mothers exposed to PCBs.
How can PCBs affect my health?
Most of what we know about the human health effects
of PCBs comes from studies on workers. Levels in the
workplace are usually much higher than at other places.
Workers are exposed to PCBs from breathing air and
contact with their skin.
Exposures to PCBs at levels found in the workplace
and over a long time may cause harmful effects to the
skin (acne, rashes, and coloring of the nails and skin) and
eyes (redness, burning, irritation, and discharge). PCBs in
the diet of animals produced similar effects. PCBs may
also irritate the nose and lungs.
Repeated skin contact to PCBs in rabbits caused liver,
kidney, and skin damage. A single, large exposure to skin
Page 2 POLYCHLORINATED
BIPHENYLS (PCBs)
caused death in rabbits. Rats and other animals that
breathed very high levels of PCBs over several months had
liver and kidney damage. It is not clear if these effects
would happen in people at similar levels of exposure.
Rats that ate large amounts of PCBs for a short period
had mild liver damage; some died. Smaller amounts over
several weeks or months caused liver, stomach, and
thyroid gland injuries, anemia, acne, and reduced the
ability to have offspring. Similar effects occurred in
different laboratory animals.
How likely are PCBs to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (199 1)
has determined that PCBs may reasonably be anticipated
to be carcinogens. This is based on animal studies. Studies
in workers do not provide enough information to know
with any certainty if PCBs cause cancer in humans.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to PCBs?
Tests are available for PCBs in blood, body fat, and
breast milk. Blood tests are the best method for detecting
recent exposures to large amounts. These tests are not
routinely performed at your doctor's office.
High levels in your body fluids indicate exposure to
high levels of PCBs. These tests can't determine the exact
amount or type of PCBs, how long you were exposed, or if
you will develop harmful health effects. Most people have
small but measurable amounts of PCBs in their blood, fat,
and breast milk.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommends PCBs levels in lakes and streams be no
higher than 0.001 parts of PCB per billion parts of water
(0.001 ppb) to prevent cancer. PCBs in drinking water
should be no higher than 4 milligrams per liter of water
(4 mg/L) for adults, and 1 mg/L for children to prevent
noncancer harmful effects. EPA regulates the transport,
storage, or disposal of PCBs. EPA limits the amount of
PCBs in publicly owned waste water treatment plants, and
requires industry to report release of 1 pound or more.
The Food and Drug Administration TDA) requires
milk, eggs, other dairy products, poultry fat, fish, shellfish,
and infant foods to contain no more than 0.2-3 parts of
PCBs per million parts of food (0.2-3 ppm) to prevent
noncancer harmful effects.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends workers not breathe air with
more than 0.001 milligrams of PCBs per cubic meter of air
(0.001 mg/m3) for a 10 -hour workday, 40 -hour workweek.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires workplace exposure limits of 0.5 mg/m3
(54 percent chlorine) or 1 mg/m3 (42 percent chlorine) for
an 8 -hour workday to protect workers from noncancer
harmful health effects.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
PPM: Parts per million
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for selected
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Atlanta: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in envirmurental medicine:
PCBs toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=1; TSDR
TETRACHLOROETHYLENE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about tetrachloroethylene. For
more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is tetrachloroethylene?
(Pronounced tet"rah - klo"ro - eth' i - len)
Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured chemical that is
widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and for removing
grease from metal surfaces. It is also used to make other
chemicals and some consumer products.
Tetrachloroethylene is a nonflammable liquid at room
temperature that evaporates easily to air producing a sharp,
sweet odor. Most people can smell very low levels in air
and water.
This chemical is also called perchloroethylene, PCE,
perc, tetrachloroethene, perclene, and perchlor.
What happens to tetrachloroethylene when it
enters the environment?
❑ It evaporates during use or from waste sites, and is
mostly found in air.
❑ It takes several months in air to break down.
❑ Rain or snow carries some of it to soil and water.
❑ It can be carried from soil to underground drinking
water supplies.
❑ It can stay in underground water for many months
without breaking down.
❑ Bacteria in water may break it down, but some of the
breakdown products may also be harmful.
❑ It does not appear to build up in fish, clams, and
oysters.
How might I be exposed to
tetrachloroethylene?
❑ Breathing contaminated workplace air
❑ Breathing vapors from consumer products like auto
brake quieters and cleaners, water repellents, silicon
lubricants, and spot removers (check the label)
❑ Breathing air or drinking water near industries, dry
cleaners, or waste sites.
❑ For infants, drinking breast milk from mothers exposed
to the chemical.
How can tetrachloroethylene affect my
health?
High levels of tetrachloroethylene in the air can cause
dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea,
difficulty in speaking and walking, and possibly
unconsciousness and death. Skin irritation may result from
repeated or extended contact with the chemical.
The health effects of breathing air or drinking water
that have low levels of tetrachloroethylene are not known.
Paget TETRACHLOROETHYLENE
Several studies suggest that some women who work in
dry cleaning industries have more menstrual problems and
spontaneous abortions than women not exposed to
tetrachloroethylene. We don't know if tetrachloroethylene
was responsible because other causes were not considered.
The chemical doesn't seem to cause birth defects in
children whose parents are exposed to it
Tetrachloroethylene can be toxic to the fetuses of rats
and mice. In one study, minor changes in the brain and
behavior were seen in the offspring of rats exposed to very
high levels of tetrachloroethylene during pregnancy. This
single study, however, is not sufficient to draw any
conclusions about the effects of tetrachloroethylene on
human development or reproduction.
Animal studies using high levels of tetrachloroethylene
show that it can cause liver and kidney damage.
How likely is tetrachloroethylene to cause
cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services has
determined that tetrachloroethylene may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen. This is based on long-term
animal studies using high levels of tetrachloroethylene
which resulted in liver and kidney cancers. This chemical
has not been shown to cause cancer in people.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to tetrachloroethylene?
Tests are available to measure tetrachloroethylene in
the breath, blood, and urine. It can be detected in the
breath for weeks following a heavy exposure. Some of the
breakdown products in blood and urine can be identified
for only short periods after exposure.
Because other chemicals produce the same breakdown
products in the urine and blood, these test can't determine
if you have been exposed only to tetrachloroethylene.
Although the tests are simple to perform, they aren't
routinely available in your doctor's office.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommends that children should not have more than 2.0
parts tetrachloroethylene per million pars of water
(2 ppm) in 1 day or more than 1.4 ppm per day for long-
term exposure. Adults should not have more than 5 ppm
in the drinking water for long-term exposure.
EPA requires industry to immediately report a spill of
more than 100 pounds of tetrachloroethylene to the
National Response Center.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) limits the amount of tetrachloroethylene in
workroom air to 25 ppm for an 8 -hour workday over a
40 -hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends that tetrachloroethylene be
handled as a potential carcinogen and states that workplace
air levels should be as low as possible.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
PPM: Parts per million.
Long-term: Generally means longer than one year.
Short-term: Generally means less than 90 days.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for
tetrachloroethylene. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
TSDR
TRICHLOROETHYLENE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about trichloroethylene. For
more information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is trichloroethylene?
(Pronounced tri" - klo - ro - eth' i - len)
Trichloroethylene is an industrial chemical. It is a
nonflammable, colorless liquid at room temperature with a
somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning taste. Most
people can smell it in the air at low levels. Trade names
for trichloroethylene are Triclene and Vitran.
Trichloroethylene was once used as an anesthetic for
surgery, but it is now used mainly as a solvent to remove
grease from metal parts. The automotive and metals
industries are the main users. It is also found in some
household products like typewriter correction fluid, paint
removers, adhesives, and spot removers.
What happens to trichloroethylene when it
enters the environment?
❑ It evaporates to air during grease removal operations.
❑ It gets into soil and water from industrial and hazardous
waste sites.
❑ From surface water and soil, it quickly evaporates to air.
❑ It doesn't stick to soil particles, and it moves quickly
through the soil to groundwater.
❑ It breaks down in air in a few weeks, in surface water in
days to weeks, more slowly in deep soil, and not at all in
groundwater.
❑ Fish don't store it, but low levels have been found in
their body.
How might I be exposed to trichloroethylene?
❑ Low exposure to the general public
❑ Breathing workplace air around metal cleaning
operations and solvents
❑ Ingesting contaminated food or water, or breathing
contaminated air around hazardous waste sites
❑ Breathing indoor air contaminated from consumer
products containing trichloroethylene (check label).
How can trichloroethylene affect my health?
Trichloroethylene mostly affects the nervous system.
Exposure to very high levels for short times has caused
unconsciousness and death.
People who breathe moderate levels may have
headaches, dizziness, or impaired ability to perform. Most
people can smell it in the air at much lower levels. People
vary in their ability to smell, however, so odor may not
always alert you to an unwanted exposure. Skin contact
with high levels can cause rashes.
Health effects from long-term exposures have mostly
been studied in animals. Animals exposed to moderate
levels had enlarged livers. Higher exposures caused liver
Page 2 TRICHLOROETHYLENE
and kidney damage. We do not know if these effects
would occur in people.
Children of parents who drank water from a well
contaminated with trichloroethylene were bom with more
heart problems. Other chemicals, however, were also in
the well water. Also, other people who drank water
contaminated with trichloroethylene had normal babies.
Therefore, we do not know if trichloroethylene causes
birth defects or affects our ability to reproduce.
How likely is trichloroethylene to cause
cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) has determined that trichloroethylene is not
classifiable as its to carcinogenicity to humans.
The IARC determination is based on the lack of strong
evidence associating cancer in people with exposure to
trichloroethylene and the mixed or flawed results from
animal studies. More research is needed to make a clear
determination on trichloroethylene's ability to cause
cancer.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to trichloroethylene?
Tests can measure trichloroethylene in your breath and
breakdown products in urine or blood, but these tests are
not routinely available at your doctor' s office.
Breath levels can show if you were exposed to large
amounts of trichloroethylene. If exposed to low levels, the
test must be performed soon after the exposure. Urine and
blood tests can also show if you have been exposed to
large amounts.
One of the breakdown products can be measured in the
urine for about I week after trichloroethylene exposure.
Other chemicals have the same breakdown products so the
tests are not specific for trichloroethyle-le.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
sets a drinking water standard of 5 parts of
trichloroethylene per one billion parts of water (5 ppb)
effective January 9, 1989. The standarc is for community
water systems and systems that serve the same 25 or more
people for at least 6 months. EPA requires industries to
report spills of 1,000 pounds or more of trichloroethylene.
This level may be reduced to 100 pounds.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) limits exposure to an average
level of 50 parts of trichloroethylene per one million parts
of air (50 ppm) for an 8 -hour workday, 40 -hour workweek.
A level of 200 ppm has been set for a 15 -minute average
exposure in air any time during the workday.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cane-.
PPM: Parts per million.
PPB: Parts per billion.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for
trichloroethylene. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Trichloroethylene toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.
=1;
VINYL CHLORIDE
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about vinyl chloride. For more
information, you may call 404-639-6000. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about
hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance
may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is vinyl chloride?
(Pronounced vi' nil klo 'rid)
Vinyl chloride is a colorless vapor with a mild, sweet
odor. It is in liquid form if kept under high pressure. It is
also known as chloroethene, chloroethylene, ethylene
monochloride, or monochloroethylene.
Almost all vinyl chloride is manufactured. Most of the
vinyl chloride produced in the United States is used to
make polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is used in a variety
of plastic products including pipes, wire and cable coatings,
and packaging materials.
Vinyl chloride in the environment comes from releases
during manufacturing, use of products that contain vinyl
chloride, or disposal of vinyl chloride products.
What happens to vinyl chloride when it enters
the environment?
❑ It gets into air or water from its use in the plastics
industries or from hazardous waste sites.
❑ It evaporates rapidly from surface water or soil.
❑ It breaks down in air in a few days.
❑ Little dissolves in water, but it can enter groundwater.
❑ It doesn't form other harmful chemicals.
❑ It doesn't build up in edible plants or animals.
How might I be exposed to vinyl chloride?
❑ It is generally not found in urban, suburban, or rural air.
❑ Highest exposures are from breathing workplace air in
or near the plastics industry.
❑ Breathing air around hazardous waste sites and landfills
that contain vinyl chloride could result in an exposure.
❑ Drinking water from contaminated wells is a source of
exposure, but most wells don't contain it.
❑ Breathing tobacco smoke because tobacco smoke
contains some vinyl chloride.
How can vinyl chloride affect my health?
Most of what we know about the harmful effects of
vinyl chloride comes from studies on male workers in the
plastics industry and from animal studies.
Studies on workers show that vinyl chloride can damage
the liver, nerves, and immune system if at sufficient doses.
Most people's exposures are very much lower than the
levels causing these harmful effects.
Breathing extremely high levels of vinyl chloride can
cause death. If you breathe high levels of vinyl chloride for
a short time, you will probably feel dizzy or sleepy and may
pass out. These effects occur within 5 minutes. Most
people can easily smell vinyl chloride at these high levels.
Recovery is expected to be rapid if exposure is stopped and
fresh air is breathed.
Page 2 VINYL CHLORIDE
Some people who breathed vinyl chloride over several
years had damaged livers. The damage was more likely to
develop from high levels of vinyl chloride.
Some people who worked with vinyl chloride developed
nerve damage, and others developed an immune reaction.
The lowest levels of vinyl chloride that cause liver changes,
nerve damage, and the immune reaction in humans are not
known.
Some men who work with vinyl chloride complain of a
lack of sex drive. Some women who work with vinyl
chloride reported irregular menstrual periods. Some
developed high blood pressure during pregnancy.
If you spill liquid vinyl chloride on your skin, it will
numb the skin and cause redness and blisters.
How likely is vinyl chloride to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services has
determined that vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen. This
is based on studies of workers who breathed vinyl chloride
for many years and had higher rates of liver cancer.
Animal studies support these findings.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've
been exposed to vinyl chloride?
Vinyl chloride can be measured in your breath. Its
major breakdown product, thiodiglycolic acid, can be
measured in urine. Both tests must be done shortly after
exposure and don't indicate the level of exposure or if you
were only exposed to vinyl chloride. These tests don't
determine the effects of an exposure on your health. The
tests aren't routinely available at your doctor's office.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
requires levels of vinyl chloride in drinking water to not
exceed 0.002 parts of vinyl chloride to one million parts of
water (0.002 ppm). For short -tern exposures, the levels in
drinking water can't exceed 2.6 ppm for 10 days. For
longer periods, levels should not exceed 0.046 ppm for
adults and should be less than 0.013 ppm for children. EPA
requires industry to immediately report releases of 1 pound
or more to the environment. EPA requires that factories
limit the level of vinyl chloride released in air to 10 ppm.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates
the vinyl chloride content of various plastics. These
include plastics that carry water and plastics that contact
food. Limits range from 5-50 ppm, depending on the
nature of the plastic and its use.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) sets a maximum allowable amount of vinyl chlorid
in workroom air at 1 ppm during an 8 -hour workday in a
40 -hour workweek. The maximum amount allowed in any
15 -minute period is 5 ppm.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers exposed to any
measurable amount of it must wear special breathing
equipment.
Glossary
Carcinogen: Substance that can cause cancer.
PPM: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Toxicological profile for vinyl chloride.
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1993. Case studies in environmental medicine:
Vinyl Chloride toxicity. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or
environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns. For more information, contact: Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop &29, Atlanta, GA 30333,
Phone: 404-639-6000.