EVALUATION OF A NOVEL ASSAY OF POTENTIAL TOXICITY NEUROTOXICITY OF CARPET EMISSIONS (VOCS) IN MICE/

A private testing laboratory utilizing the whole-body plethysmograph/h ead-only exposure apparatus outlined in the respiratory irritation ass ay ASTM E981-84, along with a novel exposure regimen, has reported neu rotoxic effects and mortality in mice exposed to relatively low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a number of consume r products. This methodology was evaluated by exposing groups of mice, including unrestrained and sham-treated animals, to VOCs generated fr om a sample of carpet reported to be neurotoxic using the modified ass ay. General toxicological (haematological measurements, organ weights, gross pathology, histopathology) and specific neurotoxicity (function al observations, body temperature, histopathology of nervous tissues) parameters were evaluated. No effects related to exposure to carpet VO Cs were observed in the mice. However, despite careful handling, a num ber of effects were observed which were attributed to the repeated res traint of mice in the ASTM E981 apparatus. These included a number of minor physical injuries, decreased body weights, altered thymus weight s, compression damage to the liver and haemorrhage of the pituitary gl and. It was concluded that the modification of the original ASTM E981 methodology may result in physical injuries and stress which may signi ficantly affect any evaluation of toxicity and neurotoxicity in treate d animals and result in inaccurate conclusions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd.