Identification of developmentally toxic drinking water disinfection byproducts and evaluation of data relevant to mode of action

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2011.02.002· OSTI ID:21587786

Colman, Joan ^[1]; Wright, J Michael ^[2]; Hunter, E Sidney ^[3]; Teuschler, Linda K; Lipscomb, John C ^[2]; Hertzberg, Richard C ^[4]; Simmons, Jane Ellen ^[3]; Fransen, Margaret; Osier, Mark ^[1]; Narotsky, Michael G ^[3]

---

1. Chemical, Biological and Environmental Center, SRC, Inc., Syracuse, NY 13212 (United States)
2. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268 (United States)
3. National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States)
4. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 (United States)

Reactions between chemicals used to disinfect drinking water and compounds present in source waters produce chemical mixtures containing hundreds of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Although the results have been somewhat inconsistent, some epidemiological studies suggest associations may exist between DBP exposures and adverse developmental outcomes. The potencies of individual DBPs in rodent and rabbit developmental bioassays suggest that no individual DBP can account for the relative risk estimates reported in the positive epidemiologic studies, leading to the hypothesis that these outcomes could result from the toxicity of DBP mixtures. As a first step in a mixtures risk assessment for DBP developmental effects, this paper identifies developmentally toxic DBPs and examines data relevant to the mode of action (MOA) for DBP developmental toxicity. We identified 24 developmentally toxic DBPs and four adverse developmental outcomes associated with human DBP exposures: spontaneous abortion, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, and low birth weight infancy. A plausible MOA, involving hormonal disruption of pregnancy, is delineated for spontaneous abortion, which some epidemiologic studies associate with total trihalomethane and bromodichloromethane exposures. The DBP data for the other three outcomes were inadequate to define key MOA steps.

• OSTI ID: 21587786
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 254, Issue 2; Conference: TRAC 2008/2009 meeting: 2008 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference;2009 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference, West Chester, OH (United States);West Chester, OH (United States), 14-17 Apr 2008;27-30 Apr 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.02.002; PII: S0041-008X(11)00043-3; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ABORTION
BIOASSAY
DBP
DRINKING WATER
EVALUATION
HAZARDS
HYPOTHESIS
MALFORMATIONS
MIXTURES
PREGNANCY
RABBITS
RISK ASSESSMENT
RODENTS
STERILIZATION
TOXICITY
ANIMALS
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
DISPERSIONS
ESTERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER