Failure of rats and mice to recover after subchronic inhalation exposure to a high-boiling (550-850/sup 0/F) coal liquid
Even though the high-boiling coal liquids are biologically active in a variety of toxicological assays, the effects of these materials following inhalation exposure have not been evaluated. To further the data base on potential health effects of coal liquefaction materials, we extended our efforts to include a subchronic exposure. For this study, Fischer-344 rats and CD-1 mice were exposed 6 hours/day, 5 days/week for 13 weeks to an aerosol of solvent refined coal (SRC)-II heavy distillate (HD) at concentrations of 0.69, 0.14, 0.03, or 0.0 mg/L. Aerosol particle sizes in the three exposure chambers ranged from 1.7 to 1.8 ..mu..m mass median aerodynamic diameters with geometric standard deviations of approximately 2.0. Approximately 90% of the mice and rats survived the exposure and 80% survived to 1 year of age. Most animal deaths occurred toward the end of the exposure or early in the recovery period. Male rats exposed to 0.69 mg/L failed to gain weight during 13 weeks of exposure, while those exposed to 0.14 mg/L gained 40 g less than controls. Weight gain was not affected by exposure to 0.03 mg/L. Similar results were observed for female rats; however, weight gain for mice was unaffected by exposure compared to that of controls. During the postexposure recovery period, exposed rats gained weight more rapidly than controls. Significant increases in liver weights and decreases in thymus weights were observed for tissues taken from animals sacrificed at 5 and 13 weeks of exposure. In addition, ovary weights decreased signigicantly for both rats and mice after 13 weeks of exposure. These data indicate that inhalation exposure to HD produced changes in growth, survival, and tissue weights, demonstrating the need for further evaluation of the health effects of these materials. 19 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5909558
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-11988; ON: DE85008580
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL LIQUIDS
TOXICITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MICE
RATS
SRC-II PROCESS
ANIMALS
COAL LIQUEFACTION
DATA
FLUIDS
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUIDS
MAMMALS
NUMERICAL DATA
RODENTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)
016000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety