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CARCINOGENICITY OF BROMODICHLOROMETHANE ADMINISTERED IN DRINKING WATER TO THE MALE F344/N RAT AND B6C3F1 MOUSE
Citation:
George, M H., D L. Doerfler, T. Moore, S. Kilburn, G. R. Olson, AND A B. DeAngelo. CARCINOGENICITY OF BROMODICHLOROMETHANE ADMINISTERED IN DRINKING WATER TO THE MALE F344/N RAT AND B6C3F1 MOUSE. Presented at American Water Works Association Microbial/Disinfection By-products Effects Symposium, Lisle, IL, March 24-26/2001.
Description:
Chlorine added to surface waters for the purposes of disinfection, reacts with humic material in the water to produce a variety of compounds collectively known as disinfection by-product (DBPs). The trihalomethanes (THM), the class of DBPs that occur at the highest concentrations, were found in US municipal drinking water supplies at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 540 ug/liter (Krasner, S. et al., J. Amer. Water Works Assoc. 81: 41-53, 1989). Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) occurred at concentrations ranging from 1.9 to 183 ug/liter (USEPA, 1990). Large populations are exposed to chlorinated drinking water containing low levels of the THMs and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of chlorinated water to human colon and bladder cancer (Miller et al.,1992; King and Marrett, 1996).
Two of the THMs, BDCM and tribromomethane (TBM) were found to induce cancer when administered to rats and mice for two years (NTP, 1987; NCI, 1976). This study was undertaken to assess the toxicity and carcinogenicity of a life-time exposure of BDCM administered in the drinking water of rodents. The aims of the study were to (a) compare any influence of the dosing regimen (corn oil vs drinking water) on the induction of cancer in laboratory rodents and (b) generate dose response data and time-to-tumor data suitable for cancer risk assessment.