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Creosote
CASRN 8001-58-9
Contents
0360
Creosote; CASRN 8001-58-9
Health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in IRIS only
after a comprehensive review of chronic toxicity data by U.S. EPA health
scientists from several Program Offices and the Office of Research and
Development. The summaries presented in Sections I and II represent a
consensus reached in the review process. Background information and
explanations of the methods used to derive the values given in IRIS are
provided in the Background Documents.
STATUS OF DATA FOR Creosote
File On-Line 09/07/1988
Category (section) Status Last Revised
----------------------------------------- -------- ------------
Oral RfD Assessment (I.A.) no data
Inhalation RfC Assessment (I.B.) no data
Carcinogenicity Assessment (II.) on-line 09/26/1988
_I. CHRONIC HEALTH HAZARD ASSESSMENTS FOR NONCARCINOGENIC EFFECTS
__I.A. REFERENCE DOSE FOR CHRONIC ORAL EXPOSURE (RfD)
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
Not available at this time.
__I.B. REFERENCE CONCENTRATION FOR CHRONIC INHALATION EXPOSURE (RfC)
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
Not available at this time.
_II. CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT FOR LIFETIME EXPOSURE
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
Last Revised -- 09/26/1988
Section II provides information on three aspects of the carcinogenic
assessment for the substance in question; the weight-of-evidence judgment of
the likelihood that the substance is a human carcinogen, and quantitative
estimates of risk from oral exposure and from inhalation exposure. The
quantitative risk estimates are presented in three ways. The slope factor is
the result of application of a low-dose extrapolation procedure and is
presented as the risk per (mg/kg)/day. The unit risk is the quantitative
estimate in terms of either risk per ug/L drinking water or risk per ug/cu.m
air breathed. The third form in which risk is presented is a drinking water
or air concentration providing cancer risks of 1 in 10,000, 1 in 100,000 or 1
in 1,000,000. The rationale and methods used to develop the carcinogenicity
information in IRIS are described in The Risk Assessment Guidelines of 1986
(EPA/600/8-87/045) and in the IRIS Background Document. IRIS summaries
developed since the publication of EPA's more recent Proposed Guidelines for
Carcinogen Risk Assessment also utilize those Guidelines where indicated
(Federal Register 61(79):17960-18011, April 23, 1996). Users are referred to
Section I of this IRIS file for information on long-term toxic effects other
than carcinogenicity.
__II.A. EVIDENCE FOR CLASSIFICATION AS TO HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY
___II.A.1. WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE CLASSIFICATION
Classification -- B1; probable human carcinogen.
Basis -- limited evidence of the association between occupational creosote
contact and subsequent tumor formation, sufficient evidence of local and
distant tumor formation after dermal application to mice, and some evidence
of mutagenic activity, as well as the well-documented carcinogenicity of
other coal tar products to humans.
___II.A.2. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA
Limited. Creosote is a mixture of over 200 chemical compounds, most of
which are aromatic hydrocarbons. This chemical mixture is obtained by
fractional distillation of coal tar, which is a by-product of high
temperature coking of butuminous coal. Wood preservative creosote is
commonly used on railroad cross ties, utility poles, lumber and timber, fence
post and pilings for docks and foundations (U.S. EPA, 1977).
Several case reports of human carcinomas associated with exposure to
creosote have been published. Cookson (1924) described the case of a
66-year-old creosote factory worker who had developed a squamous cell
carcinoma of the right hand after 33 years of heavy exposure. The patient
died 8 weeks after the diagnosis of the tumor. The autopsy revealed
metastases to the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart and auxillary lymph nodes.
Haldin-Davis (1935) described a similar case in which a worker developed
squamous cell papillomas of the hands, forearms, nose and thighs after
several years of employment in the creosote impregnation of logs. Lenson
(1956) reported a case of a 64-year-old man who developed five primary
cutaneous carcinomas of the face. The man had been employed from 1947 to
1950 at a creosote shipyard.
It has been demonstrated that chimney sweeps exposed to creosote from the
burning of wood and coal have an elevated risk of cancer. There are no
adequate studies of workers exposed to creosote wood preservatives. Creosote
wood preservatives contain many of the compounds present in other polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures (roofing tar pitch and coke oven emissions)
that have been found to be human carcinogens (U.S. EPA, 1986a).
___II.A.3. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA
Sufficient. Poel and Kammer (1957) applied blended creosote oil (mixture
of creosote, anthracene oils, and the oil drained from naphthalene recovery
operations) to the skin of C57L female mice for the animals' lifetimes or
until persistent papillomas developed. Skin carcinomas and papillomas were
observed in all eight mice receiving 1 drop of 80% solution 3 times/week for
18-25 weeks as well as in eight mice receiving 1 drop of 20% solution 3
times/week for 21-44 weeks (1 drop = 0.0087-0.009 cc). No tumors developed
in the 10 control animals after the administration of 1 drop of toluene 3
times/week for their lifetime. Lijinsky et al. (1957) applied 1 drop of
creosote oil twice a week to the skin of female Swiss mice for 70 weeks.
Skin tumors, 16 of which were carcinomas, were reported in 23/26 of the
mice. The average latent period was 50 weeks. Although no untreated control
group was included in the study, a control group of 50 mice receiving a
single application of 1% dimethyl benz[a]anthracene in mineral oil developed
no tumors after 80 weeks. Boutwell and Bosch (1958) applied 25 uL of
creosote oil (Carbasota) twice weekly to 8-week-old female mice (random bred)
for 28 weeks. No untreated control group was included. Among the 30 treated
mice, the average number of skin papillomas was 5.4 at 28 weeks. The average
induction time for papillomas and carcinomas was 20 and 26 weeks,
respectively. Tumor incidence was not reported, although it appeared to be
100%.
Roe et al. (1958) applied 25 uL of creosote oil, known as Carbasota, to
the skin of 3-week-old female random bred mice twice weekly for 21 weeks.
After 8 months, 24 of the 25 surviving mice bore a total of 139 lung
adenomas. In the untreated control group of 19 mice, a total of nine lung
tumors were reported. Creosote oil (25 uL twice weekly for 4 weeks) was also
applied dermally to 8-week-old mice. After 10 months, 23 of the 30 surviving
mice bore a total of 37 lung adenomas. Among 50 surviving control mice
treated with croton oil or benzene oil alone, 15 lung adenomas were reported.
Other studies indicate that creosote produced an additive effect on skin
tumor response in mice when applied together with benzo[a]pyrene (Poel and
Kammer, 1957).
___II.A.4. SUPPORTING DATA FOR CARCINOGENICITY
Creosote caused mutations in S. typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and
TA1537 and in L5178y mouse lymphoma cells (Federal Register, 1978).
The carcinogenic effect of creosote is supported by reports of studies in
which other coal tar products produced tumors in mice and rats by topical
application and by inhalation, and by the identification of carcinogenic
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coal tar products (NIOSH, 1977).
Creosote displayed tumor-promoting activity when applied topically to
mice after a single initiating treatment with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene
(Boutwell and Bosch, 1958).
__II.B. QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE OF CARCINOGENIC RISK FROM ORAL EXPOSURE
Not available.
__II.C. QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE OF CARCINOGENIC RISK FROM INHALATION EXPOSURE
Not available.
__II.D. EPA DOCUMENTATION, REVIEW, AND CONTACTS (CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT)
___II.D.1. EPA DOCUMENTATION
Source Document -- U.S. EPA, 1986a,b, 1977
The 1986 Reportable Quality Document for Creosote (review draft) has received
limited Agency review.
___II.D.2. REVIEW (CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT)
Agency Work Group Review -- 05/13/1987
Verification Date -- 05/13/1987
___II.D.3. U.S. EPA CONTACTS (CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT)
Please contact the Risk Information Hotline for all questions concerning this
assessment or IRIS, in general, at (513)569-7254 (phone), (513)569-7159 (FAX)
or RIH.IRIS@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (internet address).
_VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
Last Revised -- 08/01/1989
__VI.A. ORAL RfD REFERENCES
None
__VI.B. INHALATION RfD REFERENCES
None
__VI.C. CARCINOGENICITY ASSESSMENT REFERENCES
Boutwell, R.K. and D.K. Bosch. 1958. The carcinogenicity of creosote oil:
Its role in the induction of skin tumors in mice. Cancer Res. 18: 1171-1175.
Cookson, H.A. 1924. Epithelioma of the skin after prolonged exposure to
creosote. Br. Med. J. 1: 368.
Federal Register. 1978. Vol. 43, No. 200, October 18, 1978, p. 48199.
Haldin-Davis, H.W. 1935. Multiple warts in a creosote worker. Proc. Royal
Soc. Med. 29: 89-90.
Lenson, N. 1956. Multiple cutaneous carcinoma after creosote exposure. New
England J. Med. 254(11): 520-522.
Lijinsky, W., U. Saffiotti and P. Shubik. 1957. A study of the chemical
constitution and carcinogenic action of creosote oil. J. Natl. Cancer Inst.
18(5): 687-692.
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). 1977.
Criteria for a Recommended Standard . . . Occupational Exposure to Coal Tar
Products. DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 78-107.
Poel, W.E. and A.G. Kammer. 1957. Experimental carcinogenicity of coal-tar
fractions: The carcinogenicity of creosote oils. J. Natl. Cancer Inst.
18(1): 41-55.
Roe, F.J.C., D. Bosch and R.K. Boutwell. 1958. The carcinogenicity of
creosote oil: The induction of lung tumors in mice. Cancer Res. 18:
1176-1178.
U.S. EPA. 1986a. Evaluation of the Potential Carcinogenicity of Creosote
(8001-58-9). Prepared by the Carcinogen Assessment Group, Office of Health
and Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC for the Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
Washington, DC.
U.S. EPA. 1986b. Reportable Quantity Document for Creosote. Prepared by the
Carcinogen Assessment Group, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment,
Washington, DC for the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response and the
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Washington, DC.
U.S. EPA. 1977. Carcinogen Assessment Group's Report on Creosote. Office of
Health and Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC, October 27.
(unpublished)
_VII. REVISION HISTORY
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
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Date Section Description
-------- -------- --------------------------------------------------------
09/07/1988 II. Carcinogen summary on-line
09/26/1988 All Correct CASRN
08/01/1989 VI. Bibliography on-line
01/01/1992 IV. Regulatory Action section on-line
VIII. SYNONYMS
Substance Name -- Creosote
CASRN -- 8001-58-9
Last Revised -- 09/07/1988
8001-58-9
AWPA #1
BRICK OIL
COAL TAR CREOSOTE
COAL TAR OIL
Creosote
CREOSOTE OIL
CREOSOTE P1
CREOSOTUM
CRESYLIC CREOSOTE
LIQUID PITCH OIL
NAPHTHALENE OIL
PRESERV-O-SOTE
RCRA WASTE NUMBER U051
TAR OIL
UN 1136
Last updated: 5 May 1998
URL: http://www.epa.gov/iris/SUBST/0360.HTM
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