Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Ethylene Oxide

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2001
ISBN: 0-662-28980-3
Cat. No.: En40-215/51E

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Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Table of Contents

• List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Synopsis
• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Summary of Information Critical to Assessment of "Toxic" Under CEPA 1999
  • 2.1 Identity and physical/chemical properties
  • 2.2 Entry characterization
    • 2.2.1 Production, uses and importation
    • 2.2.2 Sources and releases
      • 2.2.2.1 Natural sources
      • 2.2.2.2 Anthropogenic sources
        • 2.2.2.2.1 Non-point sources
        • 2.2.2.2.2 Point sources
  • 2.3 Exposure characterization
    • 2.3.1 Environmental fate
      • 2.3.1.1 Air
      • 2.3.1.2 Water
      • 2.3.1.3 Soil and Sediment
      • 2.3.1.4 Biota
      • 2.3.1.5 Environmental partitioning
    • 2.3.2 Environmental concentrations
      • 2.3.2.1 Ambient air
      • 2.3.2.2 Indoor air
      • 2.3.2.3 Drinking water
      • 2.3.2.4 Surface water
      • 2.3.2.5 Soil and sediment
      • 2.3.2.6 Biota
      • 2.3.2.7 Food
      • 2.3.2.8 Consumer products
      • 2.3.2.9 Medical devices
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Ecotoxicology
      • 2.4.1.1 Aquatic organisms
        • 2.4.1.1.1 Toxicity of breakdown products
      • 2.4.1.2 Terrestrial organisms
    • 2.4.2 Abiotic atmospheric effects
    • 2.4.3 Experimental animals and in vitro
      • 2.4.3.1 Acute toxicity
      • 2.4.3.2 Short-term and subchronic toxicity
      • 2.4.3.3 Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity
        • 2.4.3.3.1 Chronic toxicity
        • 2.4.3.3.2 Carcinogenicity
      • 2.4.3.4 Genotoxicity
      • 2.4.3.5 Reproductive and developmental toxicity
        • 2.4.3.5.1 Effects on reproduction
        • 2.4.3.5.2 Developmental toxicity
    • 2.4.4 Humans
      • 2.4.4.1 Non-neoplastic effects
        • 2.4.4.1.1 Irritation and sensitization
        • 2.4.4.1.2 Reproductive effects
        • 2.4.4.1.3 Neurological effects
        • 2.4.4.1.4 Genetic effects
        • 2.4.4.1.5 Other non-neoplastic effects
      • 2.4.4.2 Cancer
• 3.0 Assessment of "Toxic" under CEPA 1999
  • 3.1 CEPA 1999 64(a): Environment
    • 3.1.1 A ssessment endpoints
    • 3.1.2 Environmental risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.1 Terrestrial biota
      • 3.1.2.2 Discussion of uncertainty
  • 3.2 CEPA 1999 64(b): Environment on which life depends
  • 3.3 CEPA 1999 64(c): Human health
    • 3.3.1 Estimated population exposure
    • 3.3.2 Hazard characterization
      • 3.3.2.1 Carcinogenicity
      • 3.3.2.2 Heritable mutations
      • 3.3.2.3 Other non-neoplastic effects
        • 3.3.2.3.1 Effects in humans
        • 3.3.2.3.2 Effects in laboratory animals
    • 3.3.3 Exposure-response analyses
      • 3.3.3.1 Carcinogenicity
      • 3.3.3.2 Heritable mutations
      • 3.3.3.3 Other non-neoplastic effects
        • 3.3.3.3.1 Humans
        • 3.3.3.3.2 Laboratory animals
    • 3.3.4 Human health risk characterization
    • 3.3.5 Uncertainties and degree of confidence in human health risk characterization
  • 3.4 Conclusions
  • 3.5 Considerations for follow-up (further action)
• 4.0 References
• Appendix A Search Strategies Employed for Identification of Relevant Data

List of Tables

• Table 1 Physical and chemical properties of ethylene oxide
• Table 2 Physical and chemical properties of ethylene oxide used in the fugacity modelling
• Table 3 Input parameters to the SCREEN3 model
• Table 4 Cytogenetic effects in humans
• Table 5 Summary of risk measures for selected cancers (stomach, pancreas, brain, hematopoietic) from epidemiological studies
• Table 6 TC₀₅s for ethylene oxide

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Chemical structure of ethylene oxide
• Figure 2 TC₀₅s for ethylene oxide