-Caveat Lector-
(Since EDB is allegedly contained in some of the contrails, and is used as
a gasoline additive in California, and has been detected in some water
supplies in CA, I am posting some information regarding the hazards. This
is OUR government that is spraying us with this crap. We need to do
something about this NOW! --SW)
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
106-93-4
Hazard Summary
Ethylene dibromide is extremely toxic to humans; exposure to high
concentrations of ethylene dibromide through inhalation, ingestion, or skin
contact can result in death. Changes in the liver and kidney have been
noted in humans who died from ingestion of ethylene dibromide. The
chronic (long-term) effects of exposure to ethylene dibromide have not
been well documented in humans. Animal studies indicate that chronic
exposure to ethylene dibromide may result in toxic effects to the liver,
kidney, and the testis, irrespective of the route of exposure. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not established a Reference
Dose (RfD) for ethylene dibromide. The Reference Concentration (RfC) for
ethylene dibromide is currently under review by Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). However, EPA has calculated a provisional RfC of 0.0002
mg/m3 for ethylene dibromide.a Developmental effects have not been
documented in humans exposed to ethylene dibromide. Limited data on
men occupationally exposed to ethylene dibromide indicate that long-term
exposure to ethylene dibromide can impair reproduction by damaging
sperm cells in the testicles. Animal studies have demonstrated
reproductive and developmental effects from ethylene dibromide exposure.
Animals that breathed or ate food containing ethylene dibromide for short
or long periods were less fertile than control animals or had abnormal
a The RfC is not a direct estimator of risk but rather a reference point to
gauge the potential effects. Exceedance of the RfC does not imply that an
adverse health effect would necessarily occur. As the amount and
frequency of exposures exceeding the RfC increase, the probability of
adverse health
effects also increases. The provisional RfC is a value that has had some
form of Agency review, but it does not appear on the Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS).
b The 1/ED10 value is a measure of the carcinogenic potency of a
chemical. The value reported here has been proposed in the hazard
ranking of
hazardous air pollutants in EPA's proposed rulemaking (Section 112(g) of
the Clean Air Act, April 1994).
Please Note: The main sources of information for this fact sheet are EPA's
IRIS, which contains information on the carcinogenic effects of ethylene
dibromide including the unit cancer risk for inhalation exposure, and the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR's)
Toxicological
Profile for 1,2-Dibromoethane. Other secondary sources include the
Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), a database of summaries of
peer-reviewed literature, and the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical
Substances (RTECS), a database of toxic effects that are not peer
reviewed.
Environmental/Occupational Exposure
Possible sources of ethylene dibromide emissions to the ambient air
are production and processing facilities. (1)
Exposure could occur from inhalation of ambient air near industries that
use ethylene dibromide. (1)
The most important route of exposure to ethylene dibromide for most
members of the general population is through the ingestion of contaminated
drinking water (especially well water). Another place for exposure is
near a chemical waste site where ethylene dibromide has leaked into water
or soil. (1)
Assessing Personal Exposure
There is no known reliable medical test to determine whether someone
has been exposed to ethylene dibromide. (1)
Health Hazard Information
Acute Effects:
Clinical signs in humans and animals related to acute inhalation
exposure to ethylene dibromide are depression and collapse. Ethylene
dibromide
is a severe skin irritant that can cause blistering. (1,2)
Exposure to high concentrations of ethylene dibromide through
inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact can result in death. Changes in the
liver and
kidney are reported in humans who died from ingestion of ethylene
dibromide. (1,2)
Tests involving acute exposure of animals, such as the LD50 test in rats,
have shown ethylene dibromide to have high acute toxicity from oral
exposure, while the LC50 test in rats has demonstrated moderate acute
toxicity from inhalation exposure. (3)
Chronic Effects (Noncancer):
The chronic effects of exposure to ethylene dibromide have not been
documented in humans. In one case in which a worker breathed ethylene
dibromide for several years, he developed bronchitis, headache, and
depression. His health improved after he stopped breathing air
contaminated
with ethylene dibromide. (1,2)
Animal studies indicate that prolonged exposure to ethylene dibromide
may result in toxic effects to the liver, kidney, and the testis whether by
inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. (1,2)
EPA has not established an RfD for ethylene dibromide. (4)
The RfC is currently under review by EPA. (4)
EPA has calculated a provisional RfC of 0.0002 mg/m3 for ethylene
dibromide. (5)
Reproductive Effects/Developmental:
Developmental effects have not been documented in humans. Limited
data on men occupationally exposed to ethylene dibromide indicate that
long-term exposure to ethylene dibromide can impair reproduction by
damaging sperm cells in the testicles. (1,2)
Animals that breathed or ate food containing ethylene dibromide for
short or long periods were less fertile than control animals or had abnormal
sperm. Pregnant animals that were sick from exposure to ethylene
dibromide have had pups with birth defects. (1,2)
Cancer Risk:
Two cancer studies on workers exposed to ethylene dibromide have
been carried out. Neither study reported a statistically significant increase in
cancer mortality; however these studies are considered inadequate due
to confounding factors. (4)
Several animal studies indicate that long-term exposure to ethylene
dibromide increases the incidences of a variety of tumors in rats and mice
in
both sexes by inhalation, by gavage (the placing of ethylene dibromide
experimentally in the stomach), or by administration to the skin. (4)
EPA considers ethylene dibromide to be a probable human carcinogen
(cancer-causing agent) and has ranked it in EPA's Group B2. (4)
EPA uses mathematical models, based on animal studies, to estimate
the probability of a person developing cancer from breathing air containing
a specified concentration of a chemical. EPA has calculated an
inhalation unit risk estimate of 2.2 × 10-4 (µg/m3)-1.
EPA estimates that, if an individual were to breathe air containing
ethylene dibromide at 0.005 g/m3(1) over his or her entire lifetime, that
person
would theoretically have no more than a one-in-a-million increased
chance of developing cancer as a direct result of breathing air containing
this
chemical. Similarly, EPA estimates that breathing air containing 0.05
µg/m3 would result in not greater than a one-in-hundred thousand increased
chance of developing cancer, and air containing 0.5 µg/m3 would result
in not greater than a one-in-ten thousand increased chance of developing
cancer. (7)
EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, for a hazard ranking
under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act Amendments, has ranked
ethylene dibromide in the nonthreshold category. The 1/ED10 value is
2.1 per (mg/kg)/d and this would place it in the medium category under
Superfund's ranking for carcinogenic hazard. (6)
Physical Properties
Ethylene dibromide is a colorless liquid with a mild sweet odor, like
chloroform. (1,7)
Ethylene dibromide is slightly soluble in water. (1,7)
The chemical formula for ethylene dibromide is C2H4Br2, and it has a
molecular weight of 187.88 g/mol. (1,7)
The vapor pressure for ethylene dibromide is 11.0 mm Hg at 25 C, and
it has a log octanol/water partition coefficient (Log Kow) of 86. (1).
Uses
Ethylene dibromide has been used mainly as an additive to leaded
gasoline. This use is currently declining due to the increased regulation of
leaded gasoline. (1)
Ethylene dibromide was used as a fumigant to protect against insects,
pests, and nematodes in citrus, vegetable, and grain crops, and as a
fumigant for turf, particularly on golf courses. In 1984, EPA banned its
use as a soil and grain fumigant. (1)
Ethylene dibromide is currently used in the treatment of felled logs for
bark beetles, termite control, control of wax moths in beehives, spot
treatment of milling machinery and for Japanese beetle control on
ornamental plants. (1)
Ethylene dibromide is also used as an intermediate for dyes, resins,
waxes, and gums. (1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Wingate
California Director
SKYWATCH INTERNATIONAL
Today's Midi
http://www.anomalous-images.com/PCH.MID
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http://www.anomalous-images.com/wwwboard.html
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