1.1 What is 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1.2 How might I be exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1.3 How can 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
enter and leave my body? |
1.4 How can 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
affect my health? |
1.5 Is there a medical test to determine
whether I have been exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1.6 What recommendations has the federal
government made to protect human health? |
1.7 Where can I get more information? |
References |
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September 1992 |
Public Health Statement |
for |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane |
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This Public Health Statement is the
summary chapter from the Toxicological
Profile for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. It is one in
a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances
and their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQs™,
is also available. 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. For more information, call the ATSDR Information
Center at 1-888-422-8737.
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This Statement was prepared to give you
information about 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane and to emphasize
the human health effects that may result from exposure to
it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified
1,177 sites on its National Priorities List (NPL) sites. 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
has been found at 8 of these sites. However, we do not know
how many of the 1,177 NPL sites have been evaluated for 1,2-dibromo-
3-chloropropane. As EPA evaluates more sites, the number of
sites at which 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane is found may change.
This information is important for you because 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
may cause harmful health effects and because these sites are
potential or actual sources of human exposure to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.
When a chemical is released from a large
area such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such
as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment as a chemical
emission. This emission, which is also called a release, does
not always lead to exposure. You are exposed to a chemical
only when you come into contact with that chemical. You may
be exposed to it in the environment by breathing, eating,
or drinking substances containing the chemical or from skin
contact with it.
If you are exposed to a hazardous substance
such as 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, several factors will
determine whether harmful health effects will occur and what
the type and severity of those health effects will be. These
factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long),
the route or pathway by which you are exposed (breathing,
eating, drinking, or skin contact), the other chemicals to
which you are exposed, and your individual characteristics
such as age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle,
and state of health.
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1.1
What is 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a colorless
liquid with a sharp smell. It can be smelled in air at 2 parts
chemical in 1 million parts of air. It evaporates about as
fast as water does, which is not very quickly. 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
will dissolve in water to a very limited extent. It can be
tasted in water when 0.01 mg chemical is present in 1 liter
of water. It is a man-made chemical not found naturally in
the environment. We do not know exactly how much of it is
currently made or used by industry, but it is probably a small
amount. Some industries use 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane to
make a chemical that is used to make materials resistant to
burning. Large amounts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane were
used in the past on certain farms to kill pests that were
harmful to the crops. Farmers in Hawaii stopped using this
chemical in 1985; use in other states stopped in 1979.
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane breaks down
slowly in the air. Most of the 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
that is released to the air disappears within several months.
Most of this chemical that enters surface water evaporates
into the air within several days or a week. It does not stick
to the soil at the bottom of rivers, lakes, or ponds. We do
not expect fish or other seafood from water containing 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
to build up large amounts of this chemical in their bodies.
Some of what is spilled on or applied to soil moves through
the soil into the groundwater, where it may remain for a long
time. Some of the 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in soil evaporates
from the surface of the soil into the air. Small amounts may
stay in the soil for several years. This chemical also breaks
down slowly to simpler chemicals in water and soil.
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1.2
How might I be exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is not usually
found in the environment (air, water, and soil). Sometimes,
however, it is found in the soil and underground water from
cropland where it has been used as a pesticide. It has been
found in well-water near farms where 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
was used. It has been found in food grown on farms that used
the chemical and at some hazardous waste sites. Foods today
most likely do not contain this chemical.
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane can enter
the environment while it is being made or used in industry
and research. Because this chemical is not used very much,
the releases are probably small. Releases and disposal of
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane at waste sites can lead to higher
than usual levels in the nearby air, water, and soil.
We do not know exactly what amounts of
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane are usually found in the air,
surface water, and soil. However, based on the limited usage
in the past 5-10 years, we expect that levels where the chemical
has not been used or discarded are either low or nonexistent.
In areas where the chemical has been used as a soil fumigant,
it may still be present in soil and groundwater at low levels.
You can be exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
by drinking water or eating certain foods that may still contain
the compound. You might also be exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
by breathing air containing it. Exposure may happen if you
live near a hazardous waste site that has released 1,2-dibromochloropropane
to the air, water, or soil. Exposure can also occur in the
workplace from spills or other accidents or even during routine
handling. We do not know how much 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
the general public or workers are exposed to or how often
they are exposed to it. However, the limited use of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
in recent years suggests that exposure is minimal and infrequent.
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1.3
How can 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane enter and leave my body? |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane can enter
your body through the lungs if you breathe air contaminated
with it. It can also enter your body if you drink contaminated
water or eat contaminated food. It can enter through your
skin if it comes into contact with your skin. We do not know
exactly how much or how fast 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane enters
your body through your lungs after breathing it or through
your skin after skin contact with it. Studies in animals show
that almost all the 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane that they
swallowed entered the bloodstream quickly. Inside the body,
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane is carried by the blood to many
organs and breaks down into other chemicals also called breakdown
products. These breakdown products can attach to some chemicals
inside the cells of your body and may cause harmful effects
in the liver, kidneys, or male reproductive organs. Most of
the breakdown products are removed from your body quickly,
but they may stay in fatty tissue for a longer period of time.
The breakdown products of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane leave
the body in urine and in the air you breathe out. Only a small
amount leaves in the stool.
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1.4
How can 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane affect my health? |
Studies of workers in chemical factories
that produced 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane showed that its
main harmful effect is on male reproductive organs. Men exposed
to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in the air may have more girl
children than boy children, produce fewer sperm, and eventually
become unable to father children. We do not know the exact
levels of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in air that cause these
effects. Studies of workers have also suggested that 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
may cause headache, nausea, lightheadedness, and weakness.
No adverse effect on reproduction was seen in people who drank
water contaminated with small amounts (0.004-5.75 parts in
a billion parts of water) of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.
Studies in animals show that 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane may
cause birth defects in the offspring of adult rats exposed
to large amounts. However, human exposure to 1,2-dibromo-
3-chloropropane that occurred at work or by drinking contaminated
water has not been linked with birth defects. Some people
have smelled the sharp odor of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
when only small amounts were present, 2 parts in 1 million
parts of air (2 ppm).
Some laboratory animals died after they
breathed in, received large amounts in their food, or had
skin contact with 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. Rats and mice
that survived breathing in or eating large amounts of 1,2-dibromo-
3-chloropropane had damaged stomachs, livers, and kidneys.
Incoordination and sleepiness were seen in animals that breathed
or took large amounts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane by mouth.
Animals that breathed large amounts of this chemical also
had damaged brains. In addition, rats and mice that breathed
large amounts in 1,2-dibromo- 3-chloropropane had damaged
air passages and lungs. Some laboratory animals that breathed
large amounts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane had damaged spleens,
low blood cell production in the bone marrow, or decreased
amounts of blood cells in the blood. Rabbits that had 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
placed in contact with their eyes and skin had irritated eyes,
cloudy corneas, and damaged skin. Female rats mated with male
rats that received low-to-moderate doses of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
in their food for 5 days had miscarriages. Rats and rabbits
that breathed in or received low doses of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
in their food for less than 1 year had harmful effects on
their reproductive organs. Male offspring of rats that were
exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane while they were pregnant
also had harmful effects on their reproductive organs. Laboratory
animals that were exposed to low-to-moderate amounts of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
through breathing, swallowing, or skin contact for a long
time period developed cancer. Cancerous tumors on the inside
of the nose were seen after animals breathed 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
for long periods. Cancer of the stomach and kidneys was seen
after animals were given this chemical by mouth for long periods.
Cancer of the stomach and skin was seen after animals had
skin contact with this chemical for long periods. The Department
of Health and Human Services has determined that 1,2-dibromo-
3-chloropropane may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined
that 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane is possibly carcinogenic
to humans.
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1.5
Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed
to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane? |
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane can be measured
in exhaled air, blood, and samples of tissues from the body.
Samples must be collected shortly after exposure because 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
leaves your body rapidly after exposure. If a large exposure
has occurred, levels may be detected for longer after exposure
than if a small exposure has occurred. The levels of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
cannot be used to predict whether or not you will experience
adverse health effects. These tests are probably not available
through your doctor's office, but your doctor can refer you
to a place where they can be done. Biological changes in the
human body have been studied after 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
exposure, but they have not been used to tell whether exposure
occurred.
Exposure to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
causes lower production of sperm. Therefore, sperm counts
and the blood levels of certain hormones (follicular stimulating
hormone, luteinizing hormone) can be checked in exposed men
to find out whether harmful effects have occurred. However,
these changes have not been linked with exposure levels of
the chemical or lengths of exposure to the chemical. Furthermore,
the hormonal changes are not sensitive enough to detect minor
changes in sperm counts.
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1.6
What recommendations has the federal government made to protect
human health? |
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommends that the amount of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
that is found in underground drinking water be kept to low
levels. The highest recommended level is 100 micrograms of
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane per liter of water (µg/L).
Furthermore, EPA requires that industries report spills of
1 pound or more of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. EPA banned
the use of this chemical as a pesticide in the United States
in the early 1980s.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) recommends that the amount of 1,2-dibromo- 3-chloropropane
in workplace air be kept to low levels. The highest level
allowed in the workplace is 1 part in one billion parts of
air (ppb), for an 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek.
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1.7
Where can I get more information? |
If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact
your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Information line and technical assistance:
Phone: 888-422-8737
FAX: (770)-488-4178
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health
clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
To order toxicological profiles, contact:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000
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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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