September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane |
(1,2-Dibromo-3-Cloropropano) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.
For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center
at 1-888-422-8737. 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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SUMMARY: Exposure to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
occurs mainly from drinking water or eating food that
contains the chemical. At high levels, this chemical may
cause damage to the male reproductive system. This chemical
has been found in at least 10 of 1,314 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency. |
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What
is 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a manufactured
chemical and is not found naturally in the environment. It
is a colorless liquid with a sharp smell. It can be tasted
in water at very low concentrations.
Some industries use it to make another
chemical that is used to make materials that resist burning.
Large amounts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane were used in
the past on certain farms to kill pests that harmed crops.
Farmers in all states other than Hawaii stopped using this
chemical in 1979. Hawaii stopped using it in 1985.
We do not know exactly how much of it
is currently made or used by industry, but it is probably
a small amount.
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What
happens to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane when it enters the environment? |
- Most of it that enters surface water evaporates into the
air within several days or a week.
- It takes several months for it to break down in air.
- It doesn't stick to soil at the bottom of rivers, lakes,
or ponds.
- In soil, some evaporates into the air, while small amounts
may stay in the soil for several years.
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How
might I be exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
- Drinking water or eating food that contains the chemical.
- Breathing air or touching soil at or near agricultural
areas where 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane was used in the
past.
- Breathing air at hazardous waste sites where improper
disposal methods were used.
- Working in an industry that uses 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.
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How
can 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane affect my health? |
The main effect from breathing high levels
of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane is damage to the male's ability
to reproduce.
Studies on workers have shown that men
may produce fewer sperm, produce sperm that results in more
girl than boy babies, and eventually become unable to father
children. It can also cause headaches, nausea, lightheadedness,
and weakness in workers.
Animals breathing high levels of the
chemical were not able to reproduce and had damaged stomachs,
livers, kidneys, brains, spleens, blood, and lungs. Breathing
low to moderate levels also caused damage to the reproductive
system.
The ability of people to reproduce was
not affected by drinking water contaminated with low levels
of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane and there was no increase in
the number of birth defects. Rats exposed to high levels did,
however, have an increase in birth defects. It can also cause
skin and eye damage from direct contact.
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How
likely is 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
has determined that 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane may reasonably
be anticipated to be a carcinogen.
Animal studies found cancer of the nose
in animals exposed by breathing the chemical, cancer of the
stomach and kidney in animals that ingested the chemical,
and cancer of the stomach and skin in animals who had skin
contact with the chemical.
We do not know if these same cancers
would occur in people.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
Tests are available that measure the
amount of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in exhaled air, blood,
and samples of tissues from the body. These tests may require
special equipment and they may not be available in your doctor's
office.
Because exposure to this chemical lowers
the number of sperm, we can count the number of sperm and
blood levels of certain hormones in exposed men to determine
whether harmful effects have occurred. However, these changes
cannot tell the level or length of exposure to the chemical.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has set a limit of 0.2 parts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
per billion parts of drinking water (0.2 ppb). EPA requires
that discharges or spills into the environment of 1 pound
or more of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane be reported. EPA banned
the use of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane as a pesticide in the
United States in the early 1980s.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an occupational exposure limit of 1 part of
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in one billion parts of air (1
ppb) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) currently recommends that workers
breathe as little 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane as possible.
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Glossary |
Carcinogen: A substance that can cause
cancer.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into
your body.
ppb: Parts per billion.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
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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:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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