1. Exposure Data

1.1. Chemical and physical data

1.1.1. Nomenclature

• Chem. Abstr. Serv. Reg. No.: 101-90-6
• Chem. Abstr. Name: Oxirane, 2,2′-[phenylenebis(oxymethylene)]bis-

1.1.2. Structural and molecular formulae and relative molecular mass

1.1.3. Physical properties (for details, see IARC, 1985)

1. Boiling point: 172°C at 106 Pa
2. Conversion factor: mg/m³ = 9.09 × ppm

2. Studies of Cancer in Humans

No data were available to the Working Group.

3. Studies of Cancer in Experimental Animals

Diglycidyl resorcinol ether (technical grade) was tested for carcinogenicity by gavage in mice of one strain and in rats of one strain. It induced squamous-cell carcinomas and papillomas of the forestomach in animals of both species. In female mice, an increased incidence of hepatocellular tumours was observed. In one experiment in mice, no skin tumour was observed after skin application (IARC, 1985).

4. Other Data Relevant to an Evaluation of Carcinogenicity and its Mechanisms

4.4. Genetic and related effects

4.4.1. Humans

No data were available to the Working Group.

4.4.2. Experimental systems (see Table 1 for references)

Table 1

Genetic and related effects of diglycidyl resorcinol ether (technical grade).

Diglycidyl resorcinol ether (technical grade) was mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium and at the tk locus but not the hprt locus of cultured mouse lymphoma cells. It induced chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary CHO cells, but did not increase the proportion of micronucleated cells in the bone marrow of treated mice.

5. Evaluation

No epidemiological data relevant to the carcinogenicity of diglycidyl resorcinol ether were available.

There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of a technical grade of diglycidyl resorcinol ether in experimental animals.

6. References

• Ghanayem B.I., Maronpot R.R., Matthews H.B. Association of chemically induced forestomach cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. Cancer Lett. 1986;32:271–278. [PubMed: 3768853]
• IARC (1985) IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans, Volume 36, Allyl Compounds, Aldehydes, Epoxides and Peroxides, Lyon, pp. 181–188. [PubMed: 3864732]
• IARC (1987) IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Supplement 7, Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, Lyon, p. 62. [PubMed: 3482203]
• McGregor D.B., Brown A., Cattanach P., Edwards I., McBride D., Riach C., Caspary W.J. Responses of the L5178Y tk⁺/tk⁻ mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay: III. 72 coded chemicals. Environ. mol. Mutag. 1988;12:85–154. [PubMed: 3383842]
• McGregor D.B., Riach C., Cattanach P., Edwards I., Shepherd W., Caspary W.J. Mutagenic responses of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells at the tk and hprt loci. Toxicol. In Vitro. 1996;10:643–647. [PubMed: 20650247]
• Seiler J.P. The mutagenicity of mono- and difunctional aromatic glycidyl compounds. Mutat. Res. 1984;135:159–167. [PubMed: 6369127]
• United States National Toxicology Program (1986) NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Diglycidyl Resorcinol Ether (Technical Grade) (CAS No. 101-90-6) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F₁ Mice (Gavage Study) (NIH Publ. No. 87-2513; NTP TR 257), Research Triangle Park, NC, United States Department of Health and Human Services. [PubMed: 12748690]