home edit2 whole TSD November 2002 PDF format - OEHHA

EPICHLOROHYDRIN
CAS No: 106-89-8
I. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES (From HSDB, 1994)
Molecular weight 92.5
Boiling point
116.5°C
Melting point
-48°C
Vapor pressure
10 mm Hg at 16.6°C
Air concentration conversion 1 ppm = 3.79 mg/m 3
II.
HEALTH ASSESSMENT VALUES
Unit Risk Factor: 2.3 E-5 (µg/m 3 ) -1
Slope Factor: 8.0 E-2 (mg/kg-day) -1
[Calculated from a cancer potency factor derived by RCHAS/OEHHA (CDHS, 1988)]
III.
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS
Human Studies
A retrospective cohort mortality study of 533 white male Dow Chemical Company employees with
potential epichlorohydrin (ECH) exposure for at least 1 month between October 1957 and November
1976 was performed by Shellenberger et al. (1979; reviewed by US EPA, 1984). Two cancer deaths
were observed; this was less than the number expected (3.5) for the entire group. However, in a
review of this study, US EPA (1984) pointed out that this study is inadequate for ECH carcinogenicity
evaluation because of low exposures, short exposure duration, a short study period and the very young
age of the cohort.
Enterline (1978, 1981; reviewed by US EPA, 1984) conducted a retrospective cohort mortality study
of epichlorohydrin workers for Shell Oil Company. The cohort consisted of 864 workers at Shell
plants in Louisiana and Texas; deaths were compared by cause with expected deaths in Louisiana and
Texas, respectively. Study data were analyzed by vital status as of December 31, 1977 and as of
December 31, 1979 (reported by Enterline in 1978 and 1981, respectively) for the cohort exposed to
ECH for at least 3 months before January 1, 1966. Overall mortality in the ECH-exposed group was
not increased compared to controls; a non-statistically significant increase in respiratory cancer and
leukemias was reported (standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of 146.2 and 224.7, respectively).
Additionally, the data reported in 1978 indicated an apparent increase with increasing latent period
since 11 of 12 of the respiratory cancer or leukemia deaths occurred in workers 15 or more years after
first exposure. The possibility existed that increasing observation time would reveal more respiratory
cancer/leukemia deaths. However, the 1981 report (Enterline, 1981) including the most recent data
indicated that the SMRs for both respiratory cancer and leukemia in the ECH-exposed group
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