Environment and Breast Cancer: Science Review


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acrylamide
CAS RN 79-06-1



Major use
We assigned each chemical into one of the following groups based on its major sources and uses: industrial chemicals, chlorinated solvents, products of combustion, pesticides, dyes, radiation and drinking water disinfection, pharmaceuticals, hormones, natural products, and research chemicals.
Industrial chemical
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Found in consumer products
"Likely" indicates that the chemical is contained in consumer products or traces of the chemical are present in products, including food and water, resulting in likely exposure for the general population. For some chemicals marked as "likely," consumer product uses have been discontinued, and this will be indicated in the "Use in Consumer Products" field.
Likely
Food additive in US
Chemicals are classified as "Listed" or "Not listed" in the Everything Added to Food in the United States database developed by the US Food and Drug Administration.(22)
Not listed
California Proposition 65
Chemicals are labeled "Listed" or "Not listed" based on the Proposition 65 list of chemicals updated on May 27, 2005. Listed chemicals are "chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity"(19).
Listed
Air pollutant
Chemicals classified as "Likely" air pollutants are those likely to be found in indoor or outdoor air, including products of combustion and industrial chemicals that may offgas from consumer products, leading to human exposure.
Likely
Current High Production Volume chemical
Chemicals are classified "Yes" or "No," based on 2002 production volume information submitted to the US EPA: "Yes" for >1 million pounds produced; "No" for < 1 million pounds produced. Some past production volumes are referenced, where appropriate, in the HPV comment column (20). In addition, Scorecard.org is referenced and noted in the HPV comment column when it was inconsistent with current production volume information obtained from US EPA (21).
Yes
Production volume information
Production volume information is from the US EPA database on non-confidential production volume information submitted by companies for chemicals under the 1986-2002 Inventory Update Rule (IUR) using the most updated (2002) values (20). The Inventory Update Rule requires the submission of basic production data every four years on chemical substances manufactured (including imported) for commercial purposes in amounts of 25,000 pounds or more at a single site. Out of over 80,000 chemicals on the TSCA Chemical Substances Inventory, reports are required for approximately 9,000 substances. For those substances with annual volumes of 300,000 lbs or more per site, reporters also submit chemical processing and use information.
>100 - 500 million
General population exposure
This field includes information describing pathways of exposure for the general population obtained from a variety of sources including: IARC Monographs (9), NTP 11th ROC on Carcinogens (4), NTP Study Reports and Abstracts (3), Hazardous Substance Database (10), and other sources located through use of the Google search engine.
The general public may be exposed through consumption of certain foods (e.g. french fries). Acrylamide is formed during heating of starch-rich foods to high temperatures. Another source of exposure could be through contaminated drinking water from polyacrylamide flocculants used in water treatment. Also an environmental contaminant (11th ROC). The general population may be exposed to acrylamide via ingestion of food and drinking water and via dermal contact with polyacrylamide products. Tobacco smoke is a substantial non-food source of exposure to acrylamide (HSDB).
Use in consumer products
Summaries of chemical use in consumer products were developed from information found in US EPA SRD (11), NLM HPD (12), and Scorecard (12). Major uses were taken from IARC Monographs (9), NTP 11th ROC (4), NTP Study Reports (3), HSDB (10), and PAN Pesticides Database (13). If a chemical could not be found in these sources, we searched ToxNet (14), PubChem (15), and The Merck Index (16), and conducted searches by both name and CAS No. using Google.
No consumer products listed in SRD, HPD, or Scorecard. Uses include: chemical intermediate in production of and synthesis of polyacrylamides; water-soluble polymers (for use in flocculants and many other processes); synthesis of dyes; copolymers (for use in some consumer products); construction of dam foundations, tunnels, and sewers; treating municipal drinking water and wastewater; oil recovery processes; pulp and paper industry; mineral processing; soil stabilizer; herbicidal gels; dental fixtures; washing and peeling fruits and vegetables. Used in the manufacture of a number of consumer products, including textiles (permanent press fabrics), contact lenses, appliances, building materials, cosmetic and soap preparations, water-based paints, home appliances, automotive parts, food, food packaging adhesives, paper, and paperboard and gelatin capsules. Minor uses of acrylamide are as latex thickeners, emulsion stabilizers for printing inks, gelling agents for explosives, binders in adhesives and adhesive tape; in the production of diazo compounds; and for gel chromatography and electrophoresis (11th ROC).
Occupational exposure to women
We extracted the total number of potentially exposed workers and the number of potentially exposed female workers from the National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES) 1981-1983; we listed specific industry classifications if >5,000 women were potentially exposed in that industry. Note: NOES does not include farm workers.
NOES 1981-1983-Total exposed: 10,651 Females exposed: 721 Occupational exposure may occur during acrylamide and polyacrylamide manufacture, during acrylamide grouting and during laboratory preparation of polyacrylamide gels (IARC 1994 vol.:60 p.389). Workers in the paper and pulp, construction, foundry, oil drilling, textiles, cosmetics, food processing, plastics, mining, and agricultural industries are potentially exposed to acrylamide (11th ROC).
US EPA cancer classification
The US EPA Weight of Evidence Characterization of the chemical’s carcinogenic potential is listed: Group A: Carcinogenic to humans; Group B: Probably carcinogenic to humans. Group C: Possibly carcinogenic to humans. Group D: Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. Group E: Evidence of non-carcinogenicity for humans. NA: Not evaluated by US EPA (17).
B2: Probably Carcinogenic to Humans, inadequate evidence
US EPA Weight of Evidence narrative
US EPA narrative statement of overall weight of evidence for carcinogenicity (animal, human, and other supportive data).
Based on inadequate human data and sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals; significantly increased incidences of benign and/or malignant tumors at multiple sites in both sexes of rats, and carcinogenic effects in a series of one-year limited bioassays in mice by several routes of exposures. The classification is supported by positive genotoxicity data, adduct formation activity, and structure-activity relationships to vinyl carbamate and acrylonitrile.
US EPA slope factor basis
Lists target organs used for estimating carcinogenic potency of the chemical (17).
Oral, Inhalation: CNS, mammary and thyroid glands, uterus, oral cavity (combined)-female rat
NIOSH Pocket Guide - potential carcinogen?
This field indicates whether NIOSH identifies the chemical as a potential carcinogen for workers (yes/no) (24).
yes
OSHA-Is medical surveillance required?
This field indicates whether medical surveillance is required for exposed workers and whether required surveillance includes breast exams or mammography (25).
no
NIOSH Pocket Guide - cancer sites
Lists target organs from animal cancer bioassays (24).
lung, testes, thyroid gland, adrenal gland
Risk assessments not reviewed for this chemical