Environmental Health Criteria 152 Polybrominated Biphenyls
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Environmental Health Criteria 152 Polybrominated biphenyls Please note that the layout and pagination of this web version are not identical with the printed version. Polybrominated biphenyls (EHC 152, 1994) INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA 152 POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYLS This report contains the collective views of an international group of experts and does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, or the World Health Organization. First draft prepared by Dr. W. Gross, Dr. J. Kielhorn and Dr. C. Melber, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hanover, Germany Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization World Health Orgnization Geneva, 1994 The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) is a joint venture of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization. The main objective of the IPCS is to carry out and disseminate evaluations of the effects of chemicals on human health and the quality of the environment. Supporting activities include the development of epidemiological, experimental laboratory, and risk-assessment methods that could produce internationally comparable results, and the development of manpower in the field of toxicology. Other activities carried out by the IPCS include the development of know-how for coping with chemical accidents, coordination of laboratory testing and epidemiological studies, and promotion of research on the mechanisms of the biological action of chemicals. WHO Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Hexachlorobutadiene. (Environmental health criteria: 152) 1. Polybromobiphenyl compounds - adverse effects 2. Polybromobiphenyl compounds - toxicity 3. Environmental exposure 4. Environmental pollutants I.Series ISBN 92 4 157152 7 (NLM Classification QV 633) ISSN 0250-863X Page 1 of 361 Polybrominated biphenyls (EHC 152, 1994) The World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the Office of Publications, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, Which will be glad to provide the latest information on any changes made to the text, plans for new editions, and reprints and translations already available. (c) World Health Organization 1994 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the impression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of every country, territory, city, or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. CONTENTS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYLS (PBBs) 1. SUMMARY AND EVALUATION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1. Summary and evaluation 1.1.1. Identity, physical and chemical properties, analytical methods 1.1.2. Sources of human and environmental exposure 1.1.3. Environmental transport, distribution, and transformation 1.1.4. Environmental levels and human exposure 1.1.5. Kinetics and metabolism 1.1.6. Effects on organisms in the environment 1.1.7. Effects on experimental animals and in vitro test systems 1.1.8. Effects on humans 1.1.9. Overall evaluation of toxicity and carcinogenicity 1.2. Conclusions 1.3. Recommendations 1.3.1. General 1.3.2. Future research 2. IDENTITY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ANALYTICAL METHODS 2.1. Identity 2.1.1. Primary constituents 2.1.2. Technical products 2.1.2.1 Major trade names 2.1.2.2 Composition of the technical products 2.2. Physical and chemical properties 2.2.1. Physical and chemical properties of individual congeners 2.3. Conversion factors for PBB in air 2.4. Analytical methods Page 2 of 361 Polybrominated biphenyls (EHC 152, 1994) 3. SOURCES OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE 3.1. Natural occurrence 3.2. Man-made sources 3.2.1. Production levels and processes 3.2.1.1 World production figures 3.2.1.2 Manufacturing processes 3.2.1.3 Loss into the environment during normal production 3.2.1.4 Methods of transport, accidental release, and disposal of production wastes 3.2.2. Uses 4. ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT, DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSFORMATION 4.1. Transport and distribution between media 4.1.1. Air 4.1.2. Water 4.1.3. Soil 4.1.4. Biota 4.1.4.1 Terrestrial ecosystems 4.1.4.2 Aquatic ecosystems 4.1.4.3 Accidental contamination of the food chain 4.2. Degradation 4.2.1. Photolytic degradation 4.2.2. Microbial degradation 4.2.3. Degradation by plants and animals 4.2.4. Bioaccumulation 4.2.4.1 Aquatic organisms 4.2.4.2 Terrestrial organisms 4.3. Ultimate fate following use 4.3.1. Disposal of PBB-contaminated animals and wastes from the Michigan disaster 4.3.2. Thermal decomposition of PBBs 5. ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS AND HUMAN EXPOSURE 5.1. Environmental levels 5.1.1. Air 5.1.2. Water and sediments 5.1.2.1 Surface waters 5.1.2.2 Sediments 5.1.2.3 Groundwater 5.1.3. Soil 5.1.4. Feed and food 5.1.4.1 Feed 5.1.4.2 Food 5.1.5. Other products 5.1.6. Terrestrial and aquatic organisms 5.1.6.1 Aquatic and terrestrial plants 5.1.6.2 Animals 5.2. General population exposure 5.2.1. Quantified data on human exposure 5.2.1.1 Worldwide 5.2.1.2 The Michigan accident 5.2.2. Human monitoring methods for PBBs 5.2.3. Human monitoring data 5.2.4. Subpopulations at special risk 5.3. Occupational exposure during manufacture, formulation, or Page 3 of 361 Polybrominated biphenyls (EHC 152, 1994) use 6. KINETICS AND METABOLISM 6.1. Absorption 6.1.1. Animal studies 6.1.1.1 Gastrointestinal absorption 6.1.1.2 Dermal and inhalation absorption 6.1.2. Human studies 6.2. Distribution 6.2.1. Animal studies 6.2.1.1 Levels in organs and blood 6.2.1.2 Transfer to offspring 6.2.2. Human studies 6.3. Metabolic transformation 6.3.1. In vitro studies 6.3.2. In vivo studies 6.3.3. Metabolic pathway 6.4. Elimination and excretion in expired air, faeces, urine 6.4.1. Animal studies 6.4.2. Human studies 6.5. Retention and turnover 6.5.1. Animal studies 6.5.1.1 Time trends, retention: 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB 153) 6.5.1.2 Biological half-lives 6.5.1.3 Differences between individual congeners 6.5.1.4 Octabromobiphenyl 6.5.2. Human studies 6.6. Reaction with body components 6.6.1. Animal studies 6.6.2. Human studies 7. EFFECTS ON ORGANISMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 7.1. Microorganisms 7.2. Aquatic organisms 7.3. Terrestrial organisms 7.3.1. Wildlife 7.3.2. Farm animals 7.3.2.1 Cattle 7.3.2.2 Other farm animals 7.4. Population and ecosystem effects 7.5. Effects on the abiotic environment 8. EFFECTS ON EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND IN VITRO TEST SYSTEMS 8.1. Lethality 8.2. Single and short-term exposures: general signs of toxicity 8.2.1. PBB mixtures 8.2.1.1 Overt clinical signs, food intake, and body weight changes 8.2.1.2 Haematology and clinical chemistry 8.2.1.3 Morphological and histopathological changes 8.2.2. Individual PBB congeners and comparative studies 8.2.2.1 Food intake, overt clinical signs, body weight changes 8.2.2.2 Haematology and clinical chemistry Page 4 of 361 Polybrominated biphenyls (EHC 152, 1994) 8.2.2.3 Morphological and histopathological changes 8.3. Skin and eye irritation, sensitization, dermal lesions, and acne 8.4. Long-term toxicity 8.4.1. Rat 8.4.1.1 Overt clinical signs, body weight changes, food intake 8.4.1.2 Haematology and clinical chemistry 8.4.1.3 Morphological changes 8.4.1.4 Histopathological changes 8.4.2. Mouse 8.4.3. Cattle 8.4.4. Mink 8.4.5. Rhesus monkey 8.4.6. Pre- and perinatal exposure 8.5. Reproduction, embryotoxicity, and teratogenicity 8.5.1. PBB mixtures 8.5.1.1 Mammals 8.5.1.2 Avian species 8.5.2. Individual PBB congeners 8.6. Mutagenicity and related end-points 8.7. Carcinogenicity 8.7.1. Carcinogenicity in long-term toxicity studies 8.7.2. Mechanisms of carcinogenicity 8.7.2.1 Tumour initiation 8.7.2.2 Tumour promotion 8.7.2.3 PBBs acting as complete carcinogens 8.8. Biochemical toxicity 8.8.1. Induction of microsomal enzymes 8.8.1.1 Commercial PBB mixtures 8.8.1.2 Individual PBB congeners 8.8.2. Endocrine interactions 8.8.2.1 Thyroid hormones 8.8.2.2 Sex hormones 8.8.2.3 Prostaglandins 8.8.3. Interaction with drugs and toxicants 8.8.4. Effect on vitamin A storage 8.8.5. Porphyria 8.8.6. Miscellaneous effects 8.9. Effects on intercellular communication 8.10. Immunotoxicity 8.11. Neurotoxicity 8.11.1. Exposure of adult animals 8.11.2. Perinatal exposure 8.12. Factors modifying toxicity, toxicity of metabolites 8.12.1. Contaminants affecting toxicity 8.12.1.1 Polybrominated naphthalenes (PBNs) 8.12.1.2 Mixed polybromo-chlorobiphenyls 8.12.2.