IRIS Toxicological Review of Acrylamide (External Review Draft)

The draft Toxicological Review of Acrylamide provides scientific support and rationale for the hazard identification and dose-response assessment pertaining to a chronic exposure to acrylamide.

Acrylamide is a chemical used in the production of polyacrylamide polymers. Polyacrylamides are used as a flocculent in water purification, oil recovery, and soil conditioning and stabilization. Other uses include paper making, adhesion-promotion, dye acceptors, and textile additives. Human exposure to acrylamide had been thought to occur primarily in the workplace from dermal contact and inhalation of dust and vapor, with the general public being potentially exposed to low levels of acrylamide primarily through contaminated drinking water.

In addition, the draft toxicological review notes that cigarette smoke (direct and secondary) is another exposure route. In early 2002, Swedish scientists reported high concentrations of acrylamide in certain fried, baked, and deep-fried foods. Subsequent research demonstrated that acrylamide forms de novo during processing of some foods, especially during high temperature cooking of carbohydrate-rich foods that contain asparagine.

This assessment contains the derivation of a chronic reference dose (RfD) and a chronic reference concentration (RfC) for non-cancer effects, as well as an oral slope factor and an inhalation unit risk for carcinogenic effects.

Following the External Peer Review, the final assessment will be published on the IRIS database.