1. Exposure Data

1.1. Chemical and physical data

1.1.1. Nomenclature

• Chem. Abstr. Serv. Reg. No.: 765-34-4
• Systematic name: Oxirane-carboxaldehyde

1.1.2. Structural and molecular formulae and relative molecular mass

1.1.3. Physical properties (for details, see IARC, 1976)

• (a) Boiling-point: 112–113°C
• (b) Conversion factor: mg/m³ = 2.95 × ppm

2. Studies of Cancer in Humans

No data were available to the Working Group.

3. Studies of Cancer in Experimental Animals

Glycidaldehyde was tested for carcinogenicity in mice by skin application and by subcutaneous injection and in rats by subcutaneous injection. It produced malignant tumours at the site of application in both species (IARC, 1976).

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

4.4. Genetic and related effects

The genotoxicity of glycidaldehyde has been reviewed (Feron et al., 1991).

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 glycidaldehyde.

Glycidaldehyde induces mutations in bacteriophage T4, bacteria, yeast and sex-linked recessive lethal mutations in Drosophila melanogaster, but not hprt locus mutations in mouse lymphoma L5178Y. DNA adducts can be found in vitro using calf thymus DNA and in vivo in skin cells of mice treated topically with glycidaldehyde. The main adduct, in this case, has been identified as a cyclic adduct of deoxyadenosine, namely, 3-β-D-deoxyribofuranosyl-7-(hydroxymethyl)-3H-imidazo[2,1-i]purine-3′-monophosphate. The frequency of this adduct was 1 adduct per 6.4 × 10⁴ nucleotides after a 2-mg application and 1 adduct per 7.6 × 10³ nucleotides after a 10-mg skin-painting (Steiner et al., 1992). Glycidaldehyde gave a marginally positive result of uncertain significance for the morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells in vitro.

5. Evaluation

No epidemiological data relevant to the carcinogenicity of glycidaldehyde were available.

There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of glycidaldehyde.

6. References

• Corbett T.H., Heidelberger C., Dove W.F. Determination of the mutagenic activity to bacteriophage T4 of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic compounds. Mol. Pharmacol. 1970;6:667–679. [PubMed: 5497717]
• Feron V.J., Til H.P., de Vrijer F., Woutersen R.A., Cassee F.R., van Bladeren P.J. Aldehydes: occurrence, carcinogenic potential, mechanism of action and risk assessment. Mutat. Res. 1991;259:363–385. [PubMed: 2017217]
• IARC (1976) IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Man, Vol. 11, Cadmium, Nickel, Some Epoxides, Miscellaneous Industrial Chemicals and General Considerations on Volatile Anaesthetics, Lyon, pp. 175–181. [PubMed: 992654]
• 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. 64. [PubMed: 3482203]
• Izard C. Studies on the mutagenic effects of acrolein and two of its epoxides: the glycidol and the glycidal, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris. 1973;276:3037–3041. (in French) [PubMed: 4198809]
• Knaap A.G.A.C., Voogd C.E., Kramers P.G.N. Comparison of the mutagenic potency of 2-chloroethanol, 2-bromoethanol, 1,2-epoxybutane, epichlorohydrin and glycidaldehyde in Klebsiella pneumoniae, Drosophila melanogaster and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. Mutat. Res. 1982;101:199–208. [PubMed: 6806641]
• McCann J., Choi E., Yamasaki E., Ames B.N. Detection of carcinogens as mutagens in the Salmonella/microsome test. Assay of 300 chemicals. Proc. natl Acad. Sci. USA. 1975;72:5135–5139. [PMC free article: PMC388891] [PubMed: 1061098]
• Pienta R.J., Poiley J.A., Lebherz W. III. Morphological transformation of early passage golden Syrian hamster embryo cells derived from cryopreserved primary cultures as a reliable in vitro bioassay for identifying diverse carcinogens. Int. J. Cancer. 1977;19:642–655. [PubMed: 863543]
• Steiner S., Crane A.E., Watson W.P. Molecular dosimetry of DNA adducts in C3H mice treated with glycidaldehyde. Carcinogenesis. 1992;13:119–124. [PubMed: 1733564]
• Van Duuren B.L., Loewengart G. Reaction of DNA with glycidaldehyde. J. biol. Chem. 1977;252:5370–5371. [PubMed: 560373]
• Wade M.J., Moyer J.W., Hine C.H. Mutagenic action of a series of epoxides. Mutat. Res. 1979;66:367–371. [PubMed: 379632]