US EPA

2815492 

Technical Report 

Benzal Chloride 

International Agency for Research on Cancer :: IARC 

1982 

NIOSH/00150707 

IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans: Some Industrial Chemicals and Dyestuffs 

29 

65-72 

English 

is part of a larger document 027010 IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans: Some industrial chemicals and dyestuffs

The properties, occurrence, and health effects of benzal-chloride (98873) are discussed. At present, the chemical is produced by one US manufacturer; imports of the chemical were last reported in 1971. Benzal-chloride is used almost exclusively in the manufacture of benzaldehyde (100527), although most benzaldehyde is produced by other means. Benzal-chloride does not occur in nature and has been designated by the EPA as a toxic waste. Benzal-chloride has been identified in surface waters. Its oral median lethal dose is 2,460 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) in mice and 3,250mg/kg in rats. In one 82 week experiment in which benzal-chloride was applied to the skin of female mice, it produced squamous cell carcinomas. In a 43 week experiment, skin application produced a low incidence of skin papillomas. It was less irritating to the clipped backs of specific pathogen free female ICR-mice than was benzotrichloride (98077). Benzal-chloride was mutagenic to bacteria and metabolic activation, and was positive in the rec assay with Bacillus-subtilis. Six cases of respiratory cancer were reported in benzoyl-chloride (98884) manufacturing workers who were also potentially exposed to benzal-chloride; the cases occurred in young workers, three of whom were nonsmokers. The author concludes that limited evidence indicates that benzal-chloride is carcinogenic in experimental animals. However, no evaluation can be made of the carcinogenic risk of benzal-chloride to humans since effects from exposure to the chemical alone have not been reported.