CHLORINATED PARAFFINS - EVALUATION OF RISKS TO HEALTH FROM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE IN CANADA

Chlorinated paraffins are included on the List of Priority Substances to be assessed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Based on the sufficient weight of evidence of carcinogenicity in experimenta l animals, short chain chlorinated paraffins were classified as ''prob ably carcinogenic to humans''. Since available data were inadequate to assess the exposure of the general population in Canada, it was not p ossible to provide guidance concerning the priority for consideration of options to reduce exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins in the ambient environment. Medium chain chlorinated paraffins were consi dered to be ''unclassifiable with respect to carcinogenicity in humans '' and long chain chlorinated paraffins were classified as ''possibly carcinogenic to humans''. Though it was possible to derive tolerable d aily intakes for both the medium and long chain chlorinated paraffins on the basis of studies in laboratory animals, available data were con sidered inadequate to assess the exposure of the general population in Canada to these compounds.