Substance-Specific Issues

Xylene, mixed; classification with respect to embryotoxicity

Substance:

Xylene, ["mixed stream"]; CAS # 1330-20-7

Issue:

Does xylene (mixed stream) fall within the criteria for embryotoxicity specified in section 53 of the Controlled Products Regulations, (CPR)?

Considerations:

The CPR criteria encompass products which cause injuries to the embryo and fetus that may occur under conditions that would have no effect on the pregnant female.

Embryotoxicity has been observed in rats and rabbits in the absence of maternal toxicity [1-4].

In 1997, the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) published the document Environmental Health Criteria 190, Xylenes which states that "The critical end-point [for xylene] is developmental toxicity..." [5].

Conclusion:

Xylene, CAS No 1330-20-7, falls within the embryotoxicity criteria specified in section 53 of the CPR.

Note: If it is company policy to disclose the WHMIS classifications including, in the case of Class D, Divisions and Subdivisions, then, as per CPR 53 in the case of "pure"mixed xylene and as per CPR 58 in the case of an untested mixture containing greater than 0.1% "pure"mixed xylene, the D2A classification should be disclosed. As per CPR 19(5), if the product does not also fall within Class D Division 1 criteria, the product label must depict the stylized "T" symbol corresponding to WHMIS Class D, Division 2.

References:

1. Hudak, A., Ungvary, G., (1978); Embryotoxic effects of benzene and its methyl derivatives: toluene, xylene, Toxicology, 11, 55-63.
   
   
2. Ungvary, G., Tatrai, E., (1985); On the embryotoxic effects of benzene and its alkyl derivatives in mice, rats and rabbits, Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 8, 425-430.
   
   
3. Hass, U., Jaconsen, B.M, (1993); Prenatal toxicity of xylene inhalation in the rat: A teratogenicity and postnatal study, Pharmacology and Toxicology, 73(1), 20-23.
   
   
4. Litton Bionetics (1978); Teratology study in rats: xylene, final report, LBI Project No. 20698-5.
   
   
5. International Programme on Chemical Safety; (United Nations Environment Programme; International Labour Organization; World Health Organization); Environmental Health Criteria 190 - Xylenes; 1997. http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc190.htm