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Air pollution
Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. 695-697, 1995
Pergamon
0278-6915(95)00037-2
Copyright © 1995 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved 0278-6915/95 $9.50 + 0.00
Information Section HAZARDOUS The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances has published its third annual report, for 1993-94. UK proposals for a first EU priority list of existing substances for detailed risk assessment were noted in the second report (Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances Second Annual Report 1992-93. Department of the Environment. HMSO, London, 1993) and the list was later finalized (Off. J. Eur. Commun. 1994, 37 (L131), 3). The nine substances for U K assessment are bis(pentabromophenyl) ether and diphenyl ether octabromo derivative (both jointly with France), tetrachloroethylene, C~o-~3 chloroalkanes, naphthalene, styrene, buta-l,3-diene, trichloroethylene and acrylamide. The DoE will take primary responsibility for the first five, and the HSE for the others. In June 1994 the Committee gave its views on draft UK assessments of five chemicals prepared under phase 2 and 3 of the OECD Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) programme (Chems Prog. Bull. 1994, 15 (1), 32). These were acetone cyanohydrin, triethanolamine, diethanolamine, ascorbic acid and N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethanol. Information on exposure and methodology, and on the biodegradability of diethanolamine, were identified as weak areas. The 30 phase 2 and 3 chemicals with complete SIDS were discussed at an OECD meeting in July 1994, at which it was concluded that both di- and triethanolamines required clarification on biodegradability and use in metal cutting fluids. The other U K chemicals were considered of low priority for further work and the assessments will be published by IRPTC/IPCS. However, it was recognized that in some countries N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethanol is used in consumer paints, and its corrosive properties require follow-up stewardship action by industry.
SUBSTANCES A pilot OECD risk reduction programme involves mercury, cadmium, lead, brominated flame retardants and methylene dichloride. Draft reports on the last three compounds were reviewed by the Committee, who noted that possible alternatives had not been evaluated. An OECD meeting on brominated flame retardants in July 1994 concluded that most or all polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) not commercially used presented unacceptable risks and should not be marketed, and that decaPBB needed further study. PBB ethers (PBBEs) not commercially used should likewise not be marketed. More information was required on pentaPBBE, especially in relation to contamination of water downstream of textile treatment plants, before a decision on its future could be reached. A further meeting on flame retardants was scheduled for November 1994. During the year the HSE and DoE bid successfully for two EU contracts, to produce technical guidance on human health risk assessment of new and existing substances and on risk reduction. In July 1994 the DoE sent the Committee a draft of a proposed Government/industry guide on risk reduction, which could contribute to the development of EU guidance. Draft DoE guides on environmental risk assessment and risk/benefit analysis of chemicals were also received for comment. Proposals to ban the use of high-lead solders in domestic water installations were made in 1991, but the DoE is now said to be considering an alternative approach as part of the system that will replace the present water byelaws. [Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances Third Annual Report 1993-94. HMSO, London, 1994, pp. xii +46. £15.00.]
AIR POLLUTION A subgroup to consider the relationship of asthma to air pollution was established during 1993 by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, according to the Committee's latest annual report. The six-member subgroup will advise on trends in asthma in the UK, their relationship to air pollution, possible mechanisms by which air pollutants might affect asthma trends, gaps in the database, and research recommendations. Another subgroup on particulate matter will advise on the current state of knowledge of effects of
variations in mass concentrations of suspended particles on health (excluding occupational exposures); the value of the measure of particle levels (PM 10) used by the Expanded Urban Network monitoring sites as an index or indicator of levels of airborne particles of significance to health; and gaps in current understanding and the need for future research. Interim advice given to the D o l l in October 1993 was that there was sufficient evidence to give cause for concern about the possible effects of current levels of fine particles on health. However, it was not yet clear 695
696
Information Section--Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 33, No. 8
what role other pollutants, temperature and humidity played in causing recorded changes in morbidity and mortality. Despite these difficulties, reductions in levels in fine particles should be welcomed. In October 1992 the Committee discussed the monitoring of exposure of populations at risk of adverse health effects. Current arrangements for monitoring and assessment of exposure to air pollution in the UK were considered inadequate in terms of accurate prediction of health effects, and there was a need for results of local authority and DoE monitoring to be brought together. A similar recommendation by the Quality of Urban Air Review Group (Urban Air Quality in the United Kingdom: executive summary and principal recommendations. First report of the Quality of Urban Air Review Group, Department of the Environment. December 1992) was endorsed at a later meeting. Another topic on which the Committee advised was the measurement of lung function. No single method could be recommended in all circumstances, although peak flow and FEV~ were regarded as most suitable for a range of studies. Advice was also given on the health effects of benzene, ozone and carbon monoxide, which were the subject of reports subsequently issued by the Expert
Panel on Air Quality Standards (Benzene. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994; Ozone. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994; Carbon monoxide. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994). The report is published with that of the Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, which summarizes the Group's conclusions on ozone, sulfur dioxide, acid aerosols and particulates, and oxides of nitrogen (Ozone. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, First Report. HMSO, London, 1991; Sulphur dioxide, acid aerosols and particulates. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, Second Report. HMSO, London, 1992; Oxides of nitrogen. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, Third Report. HMSO, London, 1993). A fourth report, on interactive combinations of pollutants, is expected this spring. [Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants: Report May 1992-December 1993 and Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes Activities Report 1990-1993. HMSO, London, 1994, pp. v + 25. £8.95.]
ABSTRACTS FROM THE LITERATURE
d-Limonene
Diphenyl ether herbicides
d-Limonene induced hyaline droplet nephropathy in a transgenic mouse engineered to express ~%-globulin. Mice, which normally do not synthesize ~t2~-globulin, are resistant to hyaline droplet nephropathy. The engineered mouse excreted about 30% of the ~t2,globulin excreted by normal adult male rats. "These results indicate that expression of ~2,-globulin in a species that does not normally develop hyaline droplet nephropathy is necessary and sufficient to render that species sensitive to this renal toxicity" (Lehman-McKeeman and Caudill, Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 1994, 23, 562).
Chlornitrofen (4-nitrophenyl 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl ether) and chlomethoxynil (2,4-dichlorophenyl 3methoxy-4-nitrophenyl ether) were mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium bacteria strains YG1026 and YG1021 both in the presence and absence of rat liver metabolic activation system (S-9). Bifenox (2,4-dichlorophenyl 3-methoxycarbonyl-4-nitrophenyl ether) was mutagenic to YG1026 in the presence of S-9. YG1026 and YGI021 are two new strains of Salmonella known to be especially sensitive to nitro compounds (Oguri et al., Mutation Research 1995, 346, 57).
Food allergies? US investigators have described 11 children (aged 4 33 months) whose failure to thrive (height to weight ratio below the fifth percentile) was associated with their parents' beliefs that they were allergic to multiple foods. The resultant, and largely unnecessary, dietary restriction imposed on them was the main inhibition to growth. Skin prick tests conducted for foods suspected of causing allergic reactions were negative for seven of the 11 children. Only two patients reacted during double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges-one to milk (out of 14 "suspected" foods) and the other to eggs and milk (out of 15 "suspected" foods) (Roesler et al., Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 1994, 148, 1150).
Aminc-functionai methoxysilane Allergic contact dermatitis to amine-functional methoxysilane [(vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane] developed in workers at an Italian glass-filament factory. 17 of 71 workers developed itching and reddening on parts of the body directly in contact with material within an average of 4.5 months of its introduction into the manufacturing process. Eight of 14 patients patch tested (generally involving 24/48-hr covered contact) gave positive reactions to amino-functional methoxysilane (0.4% aqueous solution). The investigators concluded that the "findings suggest that it is ... a potent sensitizer" (Toffoletto et al., Contact Dermatitis 1994, 31, 320).
Pergamon
0278-6915(95)00037-2
Copyright © 1995 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved 0278-6915/95 $9.50 + 0.00
Information Section HAZARDOUS The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances has published its third annual report, for 1993-94. UK proposals for a first EU priority list of existing substances for detailed risk assessment were noted in the second report (Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances Second Annual Report 1992-93. Department of the Environment. HMSO, London, 1993) and the list was later finalized (Off. J. Eur. Commun. 1994, 37 (L131), 3). The nine substances for U K assessment are bis(pentabromophenyl) ether and diphenyl ether octabromo derivative (both jointly with France), tetrachloroethylene, C~o-~3 chloroalkanes, naphthalene, styrene, buta-l,3-diene, trichloroethylene and acrylamide. The DoE will take primary responsibility for the first five, and the HSE for the others. In June 1994 the Committee gave its views on draft UK assessments of five chemicals prepared under phase 2 and 3 of the OECD Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) programme (Chems Prog. Bull. 1994, 15 (1), 32). These were acetone cyanohydrin, triethanolamine, diethanolamine, ascorbic acid and N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethanol. Information on exposure and methodology, and on the biodegradability of diethanolamine, were identified as weak areas. The 30 phase 2 and 3 chemicals with complete SIDS were discussed at an OECD meeting in July 1994, at which it was concluded that both di- and triethanolamines required clarification on biodegradability and use in metal cutting fluids. The other U K chemicals were considered of low priority for further work and the assessments will be published by IRPTC/IPCS. However, it was recognized that in some countries N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethanol is used in consumer paints, and its corrosive properties require follow-up stewardship action by industry.
SUBSTANCES A pilot OECD risk reduction programme involves mercury, cadmium, lead, brominated flame retardants and methylene dichloride. Draft reports on the last three compounds were reviewed by the Committee, who noted that possible alternatives had not been evaluated. An OECD meeting on brominated flame retardants in July 1994 concluded that most or all polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) not commercially used presented unacceptable risks and should not be marketed, and that decaPBB needed further study. PBB ethers (PBBEs) not commercially used should likewise not be marketed. More information was required on pentaPBBE, especially in relation to contamination of water downstream of textile treatment plants, before a decision on its future could be reached. A further meeting on flame retardants was scheduled for November 1994. During the year the HSE and DoE bid successfully for two EU contracts, to produce technical guidance on human health risk assessment of new and existing substances and on risk reduction. In July 1994 the DoE sent the Committee a draft of a proposed Government/industry guide on risk reduction, which could contribute to the development of EU guidance. Draft DoE guides on environmental risk assessment and risk/benefit analysis of chemicals were also received for comment. Proposals to ban the use of high-lead solders in domestic water installations were made in 1991, but the DoE is now said to be considering an alternative approach as part of the system that will replace the present water byelaws. [Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances Third Annual Report 1993-94. HMSO, London, 1994, pp. xii +46. £15.00.]
AIR POLLUTION A subgroup to consider the relationship of asthma to air pollution was established during 1993 by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, according to the Committee's latest annual report. The six-member subgroup will advise on trends in asthma in the UK, their relationship to air pollution, possible mechanisms by which air pollutants might affect asthma trends, gaps in the database, and research recommendations. Another subgroup on particulate matter will advise on the current state of knowledge of effects of
variations in mass concentrations of suspended particles on health (excluding occupational exposures); the value of the measure of particle levels (PM 10) used by the Expanded Urban Network monitoring sites as an index or indicator of levels of airborne particles of significance to health; and gaps in current understanding and the need for future research. Interim advice given to the D o l l in October 1993 was that there was sufficient evidence to give cause for concern about the possible effects of current levels of fine particles on health. However, it was not yet clear 695
696
Information Section--Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 33, No. 8
what role other pollutants, temperature and humidity played in causing recorded changes in morbidity and mortality. Despite these difficulties, reductions in levels in fine particles should be welcomed. In October 1992 the Committee discussed the monitoring of exposure of populations at risk of adverse health effects. Current arrangements for monitoring and assessment of exposure to air pollution in the UK were considered inadequate in terms of accurate prediction of health effects, and there was a need for results of local authority and DoE monitoring to be brought together. A similar recommendation by the Quality of Urban Air Review Group (Urban Air Quality in the United Kingdom: executive summary and principal recommendations. First report of the Quality of Urban Air Review Group, Department of the Environment. December 1992) was endorsed at a later meeting. Another topic on which the Committee advised was the measurement of lung function. No single method could be recommended in all circumstances, although peak flow and FEV~ were regarded as most suitable for a range of studies. Advice was also given on the health effects of benzene, ozone and carbon monoxide, which were the subject of reports subsequently issued by the Expert
Panel on Air Quality Standards (Benzene. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994; Ozone. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994; Carbon monoxide. DoE Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. HMSO, London, 1994). The report is published with that of the Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, which summarizes the Group's conclusions on ozone, sulfur dioxide, acid aerosols and particulates, and oxides of nitrogen (Ozone. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, First Report. HMSO, London, 1991; Sulphur dioxide, acid aerosols and particulates. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, Second Report. HMSO, London, 1992; Oxides of nitrogen. Doll Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, Third Report. HMSO, London, 1993). A fourth report, on interactive combinations of pollutants, is expected this spring. [Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants: Report May 1992-December 1993 and Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes Activities Report 1990-1993. HMSO, London, 1994, pp. v + 25. £8.95.]
ABSTRACTS FROM THE LITERATURE
d-Limonene
Diphenyl ether herbicides
d-Limonene induced hyaline droplet nephropathy in a transgenic mouse engineered to express ~%-globulin. Mice, which normally do not synthesize ~t2~-globulin, are resistant to hyaline droplet nephropathy. The engineered mouse excreted about 30% of the ~t2,globulin excreted by normal adult male rats. "These results indicate that expression of ~2,-globulin in a species that does not normally develop hyaline droplet nephropathy is necessary and sufficient to render that species sensitive to this renal toxicity" (Lehman-McKeeman and Caudill, Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 1994, 23, 562).
Chlornitrofen (4-nitrophenyl 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl ether) and chlomethoxynil (2,4-dichlorophenyl 3methoxy-4-nitrophenyl ether) were mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium bacteria strains YG1026 and YG1021 both in the presence and absence of rat liver metabolic activation system (S-9). Bifenox (2,4-dichlorophenyl 3-methoxycarbonyl-4-nitrophenyl ether) was mutagenic to YG1026 in the presence of S-9. YG1026 and YGI021 are two new strains of Salmonella known to be especially sensitive to nitro compounds (Oguri et al., Mutation Research 1995, 346, 57).
Food allergies? US investigators have described 11 children (aged 4 33 months) whose failure to thrive (height to weight ratio below the fifth percentile) was associated with their parents' beliefs that they were allergic to multiple foods. The resultant, and largely unnecessary, dietary restriction imposed on them was the main inhibition to growth. Skin prick tests conducted for foods suspected of causing allergic reactions were negative for seven of the 11 children. Only two patients reacted during double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges-one to milk (out of 14 "suspected" foods) and the other to eggs and milk (out of 15 "suspected" foods) (Roesler et al., Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 1994, 148, 1150).
Aminc-functionai methoxysilane Allergic contact dermatitis to amine-functional methoxysilane [(vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane] developed in workers at an Italian glass-filament factory. 17 of 71 workers developed itching and reddening on parts of the body directly in contact with material within an average of 4.5 months of its introduction into the manufacturing process. Eight of 14 patients patch tested (generally involving 24/48-hr covered contact) gave positive reactions to amino-functional methoxysilane (0.4% aqueous solution). The investigators concluded that the "findings suggest that it is ... a potent sensitizer" (Toffoletto et al., Contact Dermatitis 1994, 31, 320).