EPA/635/R-05/001 www.epa.gov/iris TOXICOLOGICAL REVIEW OF BARIUM AND COMPOUNDS (CAS No. 7440-39-3) In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) March 1998 Minor revisions January 1999 Reference dose revised June 2005 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC DISCLAIMER This document has been reviewed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. ii CONTENTS—TOXICOLOGICAL REVIEW OF BARIUM AND COMPOUNDS (CAS NO. 7440-39-3) LIST OF TABLES .............................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................v FOREWORD ................................................................ vi AUTHORS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND REVIEWERS ............................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................1 2. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION .................................3 3. TOXICOKINETICS ........................................................6 3.1. ABSORPTION ........................................................6 3.1.1. Gastrointestinal Absorption .........................................6 3.1.2. Respiratory Tract Absorption .......................................7 3.1.3. Dermal Absorption................................................7 3.2. DISTRIBUTION.......................................................8 3.3. ELIMINATION AND EXCRETION .......................................8 4. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION ................................................9 4.1. STUDIES IN HUMANS—EPIDEMIOLOGY, CASE REPORTS, AND CLINICAL CONTROLS ..........................................................9 4.1.1. Oral Exposure ...................................................9 4.1.2. Case Reports Following Oral Exposure ...............................11 4.1.3. Inhalation Exposure ..............................................12 4.2. PRECHRONIC/CHRONIC STUDIES AND CANCER BIOASSAYS IN ANIMALS—ORAL AND INHALATION .................................15 4.2.1. Oral Studies ...................................................15 4.2.1.1. NTP (1994) Subchronic Mouse Study ........................16 4.2.1.2. NTP (1994) Chronic Mouse Study .. ........................17 4.2.1.3. NTP (1994) Subchronic Rat Study .. ........................19 4.2.1.4. NTP (1994) Chronic Rat Study .............................21 4.2.1.5. McCauley et al. (1985) ...................................23 4.2.1.6. Tardiff et al. (1980) ......................................25 4.2.1.7. Perry et al. (1989, 1985) ..................................25 4.2.1.8. Schroeder and Mitchener (1975a, b) . ........................26 4.2.2. Inhalation Exposure .............................................27 4.3. REPRODUCTIVE/DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES—ORAL AND INHALATION .......................................................28 4.3.1. Oral Exposure ..................................................28 4.3.2. Inhalation Exposure ..............................................29 4.4. OTHER STUDIES ....................................................30 4.4.1. Acute Toxicity Data .............................................30 4.4.2. Intratracheal Administration .......................................31 4.4.3. Carcinogenicity Studies—Topical Administration ......................31 iii 4.4.4. Genotoxicity ...................................................32 4.5 SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF MAJOR NONCANCER EFFECTS AND MODE OF ACTION—ORAL AND INHALATION . ........................33 4.5.1. Oral Exposure ..................................................33 4.5.2. Inhalation Exposure .............................................37 4.6. WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE EVALUATION AND CANCER CHARACTERIZATION ...............................................38 4.7. SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATIONS ........................................39 4.7.1. Possible Childhood Susceptibility ..................................39 4.7.2. Possible Gender Differences.......................................39 5. DOSE-RESPONSE ASSESSMENTS ..........................................40 5.1. ORAL REFERENCE DOSE(RfD)........................................40 5.1.1. Choice of Principal Study and Critical Effect—With Rationale and Justification ....................................................40 5.1.2. Methods of Analysis ............................................44 5.1.3. RfD Derivation, Including Application of Uncertainty Factors(UFs) .......46 5.1.4. Previous Oral Assessment ........................................47 5.2. INHALATION REFERENCE CONCENTRATION .. ........................48 5.3. CANCER ASSESSMENT ..............................................48 6. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS IN THE CHARACTERIZATION OF HAZARD AND DOSE-RESPONSE ...........................................49 6.1. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION ...........................................49 6.2. DOSE-RESPONSE ASSESSMENT ......................................52 7. REFERENCES ...........................................................53 APPENDIX A-1: SUMMARY OF 1998 EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW COMMENTS AND DISPOSITION ............................................. A-1 APPENDIX A-2: SUMMARY OF 2004 EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW AND PUBLIC COMMENTS AND DISPOSITION ............................ A-4 APPENDIX B: BENCHMARK DOSE (BMD) ANALYSIS .. .......................B-1 iv LIST OF TABLES 1-1. Physical and chemical properties of barium and selected barium compounds .........5 4-1. Incidence and mean severity scores for nephropathic lesions in B6C3F1 mice exposed to barium chloride dihydrate in drinking water ....................19 5-1. Effects of subchronic and chronic oral barium exposure on rodents ................44 5-2. Nephropathy in B6C3F1 mice chronically exposed to barium in drinking water ......45 5-3. Comparison of best fitting models fits and benchmark doses for increased risk of nephropathy in mice .....................................................45 LIST OF FIGURES B-1. Third degree multistage for increased incidence of nephropathy in male mice ......B-2 B-2. Output for multistage model for increased incidence of nephropathy in male mice ...B-3 v FOREWORD The purpose of this Toxicological Review is to provide scientific support and rationale for the hazard and dose-response assessment in IRIS pertaining to chronic exposure to barium and soluble compounds. It is not intended to be a comprehensive treatise on the chemical or toxicological nature of barium. In Section 6, Major Conclusions in the Characterization of Hazard and Dose Response, EPA has characterized its overall confidence in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of hazard and dose response by addressing knowledge gaps, uncertainties, quality of data, and scientific controversies. The discussion is intended to convey the limitations of the assessment and to aid and guide the risk assessor in the ensuing steps of the risk assessment process. For other general information about this review or other questions relating to IRIS, the reader is referred to EPA’s Risk Information Hotline at 202-566-1676. vi AUTHORS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND REVIEWERS CHEMICAL MANAGERS/AUTHORS1 Stiven Foster, M.S. (2005) National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC Harlal Choudhury, D.V.M., Ph.D., D.A.B.T. (1998) National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cincinnati, OH CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Joan Colman, Ph.D. (1998) Senior Scientist Syracuse Research Corporation Syracuse, NY Lisa Ingerman, Ph.D. (1998) Senior Scientist Syracuse Research Corporation Portland, OR Phillip Robbins, M.S. (1998) Scientist Syracuse Research Corporation Cincinnati, OH REVIEWERS This document and the accompanying IRIS Summary have been peer reviewed by EPA scientists and independent scientists external to EPA. Comments from all peer reviewers were evaluated carefully and considered by the Agency during the finalization of this assessment. During the finalization process, the IRIS Program Director achieved common understanding of the assessment among the Office of Research and Development; Office of Air and Radiation; Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances; Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; Office of Water; Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation; Office of Children’s Health Protection; Office of Environmental Information; and EPA’s regional offices. 1 Dates pertain to the version of the IRIS assessment. The oral reference dose added to IRIS in 1998 was revised in 2005. vii AUTHORS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND REVIEWERS (continued) INTERNAL EPA REVIEWERS Harlal Choudhury, D.V.M., Ph.D., D.A.B.T. (2005) National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cincinnati, OH Lynn Flowers, Ph.D., D.A.B.T. (2005) National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC Edward Ohanian, Ph.D. (1998) Senior Health Scientist Health and Ecological Criteria Division Office of Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC Vanessa Vu, Ph.D. (1998) Director, Risk Assessment Division Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC EXTERNAL PEER REVIEWERS Eliseo Guallar, M.D., Dr. Ph. (2005) Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore, MD Y. James