chemical information
CAS RN:
72-43-5
Chemical Class:
Found in these people:
Andrea Martin, Charlotte Brody, Davis Baltz, Lucy Waletsky, Lexi Rome, Sharyle Patton, Bill Moyers
Found in these locations:
Sausalito, CA; Round Hill, VA; Berkeley, CA; Pleasantville, NY; Mill Valley, CA; Bolinas, CA; NJ, USA
Summary
In laboratory animals, methoxychlor causes liver toxicity (liver discoloration, altered liver weight); kidney/renal toxicity (altered kidney weight, cellular changes in the renal tubules); increased adrenal weight; immunotoxicity (increase spleen weight, thymus atrophy); neurotoxicity (altered activity); reproductive toxicity (infertility, altered mating behavior, uterus and vagina cellular effects and weight decreases, testicular cellular and weight effects, decreased sperm count, early pregnancy loss and abortion); endocrine effects (decreased progesterone in females, decreased pituitary weight, increased levels of pituitary prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone). Developmental effects include decreased neonatal body weight and early puberty (ATSDR 2002c).
Extremely little is known about the effects of methoxychlor in humans although associations with leukemia, high pulse rate, decreased blood pressure and possibly anemia have been reported (ATSDR 2002c).
Methoxychlor
Organochlorine chemical, a class largely banned in the U.S. that builds up in the body over time, linked to cancer and reproductive harm.
Methoxychlor has been found in 7 of the 27 people tested in EWG/Commonweal studies.
Top health concerns for Methoxychlor (References)
| health concern or target organ | weight of evidence |
| Reproduction and fertility | unknown |
Results for Methoxychlor
in blood serum (lipid weight)
Showing results from EWG Study #3, industrial chemicals and pesticides in adults, San Francisco Reporter, EWG Study #8, chemicals in mother and 2 children, EWG/Commonweal Study #4, industrial chemicals and pesticides in cord blood, EWG/Commonweal Study #1, industrial chemicals and pesticides in adults
EWG/Commonweal results
- geometric mean: 0.306 ng/g (lipid weight) in blood serum
- found in 7 of 27 people in the group
| ng/g (lipid weight) in blood serum | 2.73 | |
   | ||
Methoxychlor results
Detailed toxicity classifications (References)
| classification | governing entity/references |
| Reproductive effects - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed | Damgaard, I. N., N. E. Skakkebaek, et al. (2006). Persistent pesticides in human breast milk and cryptorchidism. Environ Health Perspect 114(7): 1133-8. |
