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Carcinogenicity of trichloroethylene: fact or artifact?

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Abstract

Technical trichloroethylene has been found carcinogenic in mice after high daily doses per os. A GC-MS analysis of this technical sample revealed the presence of considerable amounts of epichlorohydrin and 1.2-epoxibutane as stabilizers. These epoxides are highly mutagenic in the Ames test and are, most probably, responsible for the carcinogenic effect found in mice. The question whether trichloroethylene is carcinogenic or not remains open.

Zusammenfassung

Technisches Trichloräthylen erwies sich nach hohen, täglichen oralen Dosen an Mäusen als carcinogen. Eine GC-MS-Analyse des benutzten technischen Präparates ergab die Gegenwart beträchtlicher Gehalte an Epichlorhydrin und 1.2-Epoxibutan, die im Ames-Test stark mutagen sind; diese Epoxide tragen höchstwahrscheinlich die carcinogene Wirkung in dem für den Carcinogeneseversuch verwendeten technischen Produkt, wo sie als Stabilisatoren zugesetzt werden. Die Frage, ob Trichloräthylen carcinogen ist oder nicht, bleibt offen.

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Henschler, D., Eder, E., Neudecker, T. et al. Carcinogenicity of trichloroethylene: fact or artifact?. Arch. Toxicol. 37, 233–236 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355492

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355492

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