ATSDR Drafts Tox Profiles for Cadmium and Chemical Used in Flame Retardant Production

Drafts of updated toxicological profiles for cadmium and hexachlorocyclopentadiene, or HCCPD, which is mostly used to produce flame-retardant chemicals, are available for public comment from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 

Cadmium, described by ATSDR as a naturally occurring metallic element, and its compounds—for instance, cadmium oxide, chloride, carbonate, sulfate, and sulfide—are used in a variety of products but mainly nickel-cadmium batteries. Workers in battery and alloy production, where atmospheric concentrations of cadmium are high, are at higher risk of being exposed to cadmium and cadmium compounds. According to the draft toxicological profile, workers may be exposed via inhalation or dermal routes. Exposure to cadmium can damage the lungs and kidneys as well as cause cancer over the long term, the information sheet accompanying the profile explains.

As with cadmium, occupational exposures to HCCPD are likely to occur via inhalation of contaminated air or via the dermal route. ATSDR’s draft toxicological profile for this “yellow or yellow-green colored liquid with a pungent, unpleasant odor” states that exposure to HCCPD “occurs primarily in occupational settings,” with workers in facilities that manufacture or use it potentially exposed to higher levels. Symptoms of direct exposure to HCCPD liquid or vapor include skin and eye irritation, and breathing in the vapor can cause irritation of the respiratory system.

The draft toxicological profiles for cadmium and HCCPD are available from the ATSDR website. The public comment period for these documents is open until Dec. 30.