September 1996 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Dinitrocresols |
(Dinitrocresoles (4,6-DNOC)) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about dinitrocresols. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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SUMMARY: Exposure to dinitrocresols
occurs mainly from breathing air, drinking water, or eating
food that contains the chemicals. At high levels, these
chemicals may cause skin rashes or yellowing; increased
heart and breathing rates; damage to the liver, stomach,
and kidneys; and even death. These chemicals have been
found in at least 50 of the 1,430 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). |
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What
are dinitrocresols? |
Dinitrocresols are a class of manufactured
chemicals that do not occur naturally in the environment.
There are 18 different dinitrocresols.
The most commercially important dinitrocresol,
4,6-dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC), is a yellow solid with no smell.
It is used primarily for insect control and crop protection.
It may be sold under several trade names, including Antinonnin,
Detal, and Dinitrol. Use of tradenames is for identification
only and does not imply endorsement by the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, the Public Health Service,
or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
DNOC was used in diet pills in the 1930s,
but has since been banned for this use.
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What
happens to dinitrocresols when they enter the environment? |
- DNOC enters the air, water and soil during its manufacture
and use, and may be formed from the reaction of other chemicals
in the air.
- DNOC may also enter the environment through landfill and
storage tank leaks, or accidental spills during manufacture
or transport.
- It dissolves slightly in water.
- It can be broken down slowly in air, water, and soil by
small organisms.
- It does not easily evaporate into the air.
- DNOC sticks to particles in water, which will cause it
to eventually settle to the bottom sediment.
- It also sticks to soil particles, which prevents it from
moving very deep into the soil with rainwater.
- It probably does not build up significantly in fish.
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How
might I be exposed to dinitrocresols? |
- Breathing contaminated workplace air where it is manufactured
or used.
- Breathing contaminated air from DNOC-containing waste
sites, or during DNOC spraying or waste incineration.
- Touching contaminated soil or water near DNOC-containing
waste sites.
- Ingesting contaminated soil or water near DNOC-containing
waste sites.
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How
can dinitrocresols affect my health? |
Most of the information on the health
effects of dinitrocresols comes from old studies on patients
who were prescribed diet pills containing DNOC before it was
banned for this use. Exposure to high levels of DNOC for short
periods may cause convulsions, unconsciousness, and death.
Exposure to lower levels may result in
an increased basal metabolic rate (the rate that you use energy
at complete rest), increased sweating, weight loss, and increased
heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature.
Other effects from DNOC exposure may
include difficulty in breathing, headache, drowsiness, dizziness,
a yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes, and mild damage
to the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Ingesting DNOC for long
periods may cause cataracts and skin rashes.
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How
likely are dinitrocresols to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
and the EPA have not classified dinitrocresols for carcinogenicity.
There are no studies available in people
or animals on the carcinogenic effects of dinitrocresols.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to dinitrocresols? |
Yellow-stained skin and eyes may indicate
that you have been exposed to DNOC, but these symptoms could
also be caused by exposure to other chemicals.
Tests are available that measure the
amount of DNOC in blood, urine, and feces. However, since
DNOC may remain in your blood and urine for a long time after
exposure, these tests cannot reliably tell you the amount
to which you have been exposed.
These tests may require special equipment,
and they may not be available at your doctor's office.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA lists DNOC as a hazardous air
pollutant (HAP). The EPA requires that discharges or spills
into the environment of 10 pounds or more be reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an exposure limit of 0.2 milligrams of DNOC
per cubic meter of air (0.2 mg/m³) for an 8-hour workday,
40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that average workplace
air levels not exceed 1.5 mg of DNOC/m³ of air for a
10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
NIOSH has recommended that 5 mg of DNOC/m³
of air be considered immediately dangerous to life or health.
This is the exposure level of a chemical that is likely to
cause permanent health problems or death.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Cataract: A decrease in the transparency
of eye lenses.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into
your body.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Sediment: Mud and debris that have settled
to the bottom of a body of water.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for dinitrocresols. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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