DOSE-RESPONSE ASSESSMENT OF NONCANCER EFFECTS OF PROPIONALDEHYDE BASED ON COMPARATIVE TOXICITY WITH OTHER SHORT-CHAIN ALDEHYDES

Propionaldehyde, the three-carbon saturated aldehyde, has been the sub ject of limited toxicological investigation. Other low-molecular-weigh t aldehydes such as formaldehyde, unsaturated aldehydes such as acrole in, and the two-carbon saturated acetaldehyde have been studied much m ore extensively due to their more widespread use and more severe toxic ity, including carcinogenicity. For propionaldehyde, the current toxic ological literature cannot support an evaluation of human risk from lo ng-term exposure because current practice requires both an adequate su bchronic study to assess noncancer endpoints and a chronic bioassay to evaluate carcinogenic potential. The biological activities of propion aldehyde and other low-molecular-weight aldehydes, especially acetalde hyde and formaldehyde, have been evaluated in several different system s, both in vitro and in vivo. The results of these investigations show consistent similarities in effects and potency between propionaldehyd e and acetaldehyde in a range of test systems. A detailed comparison o f the noncancer toxicological activity of short-chain aldehydes is pre sented with a discussion of the use of studies of acetaldehyde to make inferences regarding noncancer effects from propionaldehyde.