Abstract
The possible health risks involved with the use of flame retardants were recognized when it was shown that tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate (Tris-BP), the major chemical used in US sleepwear between 1973 and 1977, was a potent mutagen in the Salmonella test1,2. It was subsequently demonstrated that Tris-BP caused kidney tubular adenomas and carcinomas in long-term feeding experiments in rats and mice3. This flame retardant can be absorbed from fabric worn by people, because one of its hydrolysis products, 2,3-dibromopropanol (2,3-DBP), wad excreted in the urine of children wearing Tris-BP treated garments4.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
M.J. Prival, E.C. McCoy, B. Gutter, and H.S. Rosenkranz, Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate: mutagenicity of a widely used flame retardant, Science 195: 76 (1977).
A. Blum and B.N. Ames, Flame retardant additives as possible cancer hazards. The main flame retardant in children’s pajamas is a mutagen and should not be used, Science 195: 17 (1977).
G. Reznik, J.M. Ward, J.F. Hardisty, and A. Russfield, Renal carcinogenic and nephrotoxic effects of the flame retardant tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate in F344 rats and (C57 BL/6N x C3H/HeN)F mice, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 63: 205 (1979).
A. Blum, M.D. Gold, B.N. Ames, C. Kenyon, F.R. Jones, E.A. Nett, R.C. Dougherty, E.C. Horning, I. Dzidic, D.I. Carroll, R.N. Stilwell, and J.-P. Thenot, Children absorb tris-BP flame retardant from sleepwear: urine contains the mutagenic metabolite, 2,3-dibromopropanol,_Science 201: 1020 (1978).
E.J. Söderlund, S.D. Nelson, and E. Dybing, Mutagenic activation of tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate: the role of microsomal oxidative metabolism. Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol. 45: 112 (1979).
L.E. St. John, Jr., M.E. Eldefrawi, and D.J. Lisk, Studies of possible absorption of a flame retardant from treated fabrics worn by rats and humans, Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol. 15: 192 (1976).
J.M. Kennish, K. Wong, N. Gerber, and R.K. Lynn, Pharmacokinetics of the flame retardant tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate (tris) in the rat: plasma concentrations, excretion and distribution, Pharmacologist 21: 216 (1979).
E. Söderlund, E. Dybing, and S.D. Nelson, Nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity of tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate in the rat, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. in press.
J.A. Miller, Carcinogenesis by chemicals - an overview. G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Lecture, Cancer Res. 30: 559 (1970).
J. McCann, E. Choi, E. Yamasaki, and B.N. Ames, Detection of carcinogens in the Salmonella/microsome test: assay of 300 chemicals, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 72: 5135 (1975).
J.B. Hook, K.M. McCormack, and W.M. Kluwe, Biochemical mechanisms of nephrotoxicity, in: “Reviews in Biochemical Toxicology”, vol. 1, E. Hodgson, J.R. Bend, and R.M. Philpot, eds., Elsevier/North-Holland, New York (1979).
J.R. Mitchell, S.D. Nelson, S.S. Thorgeirsson, R.J. McMurtry, and E. Dybing, Metabolic activation: biochemical basis for many drug-induced liver injuries, in: “Progress in Liver Disease”, vol. 5, H. Popper and F. SEhaffner, eds., Grune and Stratton, New York (1976).
E. J. Söderlund, S.D. Nelson, and E. Dybing, In vitro and in vivo covalent binding of the kidney carcinogen tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate, Cancer Res. submitted.
T. Omura and R.Sato, The carbon monoxide-binding protein of rat liver microsomes. I. Evidence for its hemoprotein nature, J. Biol. Chem. 239: 1370 (1964).
G.E. Neal, A:2. Mattocks, and D.J. Judah, The microsomal activation of aflatoxin B and 2-(N-ethylcarbamoyloxymethyl)- furan in vitro using a novel diffusion apparatus, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 585: 134 (1979).
A. Viviani and W.K. Lutz, Modulation of the binding of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene to rat liver DNA in vivo by selective induction of microsomal and nuclear aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity, Cancer Res. 38: 4640 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dybing, E., Söderlund, E.J., Nelson, S.D. (1982). Metabolic Activation of Bromopropyl Compounds. In: Snyder, R., et al. Biological Reactive Intermediates—II. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 136. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0674-1_47
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0674-1_47
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0676-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0674-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive