Registration Dossier

Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets

Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Toxicological information

Direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Endpoint:
direct observations: clinical cases, poisoning incidents and other
Type of information:
experimental study
Adequacy of study:
disregarded due to major methodological deficiencies
Reliability:
4 (not assignable)
Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
other: Only secondary literature

Data source

Reference
Reference Type:
publication
Title:
Long-term follow-up after methyl chloride intoxication.
Author:
Rafnsson, V. and Gudmundsson, G.
Year:
1997
Bibliographic source:
Arch Environ Health., 52(5):355-359, as cited in: OECD SIDS Chloromethane, 2004

Materials and methods

Study type:
poisoning incident
Endpoint addressed:
carcinogenicity
Principles of method if other than guideline:
In this study, the authors investigated mortality and cancer patterns among a group of individuals accidentally exposed to methyl chloride 32 years earlier. This group of 24 persons had survived the immediate intoxication, which had occurred on a trawler during a fishing trip.
GLP compliance:
no

Test material

Constituent 1
Chemical structure
Reference substance name:
Chloromethane
EC Number:
200-817-4
EC Name:
Chloromethane
Cas Number:
74-87-3
Molecular formula:
CH3Cl
IUPAC Name:
chloromethane
Details on test material:
- Name of test material (as cited in study report): methyl chloride
- Analytical purity: no data

Method

Subjects:
- Number of persons exposed: 24
Route of exposure:
inhalation
Reason of exposure:
accidental
Exposure assessment:
not specified

Results and discussion

Clinical signs:
The Mantel-Haenszel point estimate (M-H) was 2.2, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.3-3.1 for all causes of death.
There was an excess of deaths from cardiovascular diseases (M-H = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2-3.8). This excess mortality was more prominent among deckhands who had been subject to higher exposure; risk ratios (RRs) were elevated for all causes of death (RR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.0-5.7), as well as for cardiovascular diseases (RR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.0-14.4).
In addition, the authors noted elevated risks for all cancers (M-H = 1.5, 95% CI = 0.3-5.6) and for lung cancer (M-H = 2.7, 95% CI = 0.1-52.6).

The authors discussed their results in the context of a possible relationship between the incidence of  cardiovascular disease and  exposure to chloromethane, although any relationship between the two, based on their data, appeared marginal.
 

Applicant's summary and conclusion