Ranking the potential carcinogenic hazards to workers from exposures to chemicals that are tumorigenic in rodents

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8776211· OSTI ID:5129613

Gold, L S; Backman, G M; Hooper, N K; Peto, R

For 41 chemicals there exist both reasonable data on carcinogenic potency in experimental animals and also a defined Permissible Exposure Level (PEL), which is the upper limit of legally permissible chronic occupational exposure for US workers. These 41 agents are ranked by an index that compares the permitted chronic human exposure to the chronic dose rate that induces tumors in 50% of laboratory animals. This index, the Permitted Exposure/Rodent Potency index, or PERP, does not estimate absolute risks directly, but rather suggests the relative hazards that such substances may pose. The PERP values for these 41 substances differ by more than 100,000-fold from each other. The PERP does not take into account the actual level of exposure or the number of exposed workers. Nevertheless, it might be reasonable to give priority attention to the reduction of allowable worker exposures to substances that appear most hazardous by this index and that some workers may be exposed to full-time near the PEL. Ranked by PERP, these chemicals are: ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, 1,3-butadiene, tetrachloroethylene, propylene oxide, chloroform, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, dioxane, and benzene.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5129613
• Journal Information: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States) Vol. 76; ISSN EVHPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALDEHYDES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
BUTADIENE
CARCINOGENESIS
CARCINOGENS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLOROFORM
DIENES
FORMALDEHYDE
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
INHALATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
MICE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORAL ADMINISTRATION
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PEROXIDES
PERSONNEL
PESTICIDES
POLYENES
RATS
RISK ASSESSMENT
RODENTS
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
US DOL
US ORGANIZATIONS
US OSHA
VERTEBRATES
VINYL CHLORIDE