Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff - Dangerous Properties of Industrial and Consumer Chemicals

Cover

Page i

compiled by

Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff

National Association of Safety and Health Professionals
Morganville, New Jersey

John A. King

University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland

Randi Boyko

Cycle Chem, Inc.
Elizabeth, New Jersey

Page ii

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cheremisinoff, Nicholas P.
Dangerous properties of industrial and consumer chemicals / compiled by Nicholas
P. Cheremisinoff, John A. King, Randi Boyko.
p. cm.
Includes indexes.
ISBN 0-8247-9183-5 (alk. paper)
1. ToxicologyHandbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Industrial toxicologyHandbooks,
manuals, etc. 3. Product safetyHandbooks, manuals, etc. I. King, John Allison.
II. Boyko, Randi. III. Title
RA1215.C48 1994
615.902--dc20 94-14912
CIP

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There are approximately 5.3 million known chemicals, of which about 55,000 are in production for domestic industrial consumption. Additionally there are hundreds of new chemicals introduced to the market place annually. Of the 55,000 commercial chemicals, a substantial number of them are thought to be present in consumer products. A major unknown is how many of these chemicals in commerce are carcinogenic in nature.

Of all the chemicals on the market, only 7,000 have been evaluated in experimental animal testing programs to assess whether they cause cancer. Thus far, about 1,000 chemicals have been found to cause tumors in animals. Although it is natural to try and extrapolate from this ratio, one must recognize that it is highly risky to generalize all chemicals. First, there is a strong bias toward testing so-called risky chemicals, as shown by the fact that about fifty percent of the approximately 200 chemicals tested for cancer by the National Cancer Institute have been reported to be positive. Furthermore, at least several hundred additional chemicals have been reported in the literature to be mutagenic or to have reproductive effects.

One of the most extensive data bases compiled to protect consumers from chemically induced chronic hazards is that prepared by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has been accessed and largely used as the basis for materials in this handbook. Through their Chemical Screening Committee, the System for Tracking the Inventory of Chemicals (STIC) has been organized into a data base for managing and tracking hazardous chemicals. The editors have accessed this data base and organized the critical path data summarizing adverse chronic health effects and have highlighted those chemicals found in consumer products.

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It is important to recognize that the state-of-the-art in understanding and quantifying the hazardous effects of chemical exposure, especially to consumer-type products, is poor. There are several reasons for this situation. First, adverse chronic health effects in humans often do not manifest themselves until long after the initial exposure. Secondly, the experiments used to assess the leading chronic hazard, namely cancer, in laboratory animals typically requires five years and in excess of one-half million dollars per chemical to complete. Finally, there is no single source or agency which provides comprehensive information on the chronic toxicity or even the use of chemicals in either industry or consumer products. As such, numerous publications and computerized data bases must be consulted in order to compile a single reference on the use and toxicity data necessary to define the presence of chronically hazardous chemicals in the market place.

The purpose of this handbook is to provide a general reference both for consumers and industry users. It identifies potential chronic hazards associated with chemicals used either as virgin products or as additives in consumer products. The information compiled provides preliminary toxicity data on over 1,000 chemicals.

The editors wish to acknowledge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for access and use of their System for Tracking the Inventory of Chemicals data base, and Marcel Dekker, Inc., for their fine production of this important reference.

Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff
John A. King
Randi Boyko

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The handbook provides a basic compendium of critical reviews and evaluations abstracted from various major, publicly available sources that give information on potential chronic health hazards posed by chemicals. The summaries provided for each chemical are excerpted from reference documents and reflect only the conclusions. Inclusion of a chemical in the handbook does not necessarily imply that the material produces chronic health effects, but only that published data about the chemical have been reviewed. Note also the fact that a chemical has not yet been evaluated by any of the sources cited does not mean that the chemical presents no health hazard.

One can identify a chemical reviewed in the handbook in one of two ways. Index A contains an alphabetical listing of every chemical along with the page upon which it appears. Index B contains the same listing of chemicals and their corresponding page numbers but in chronological order according to Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers.