BENZO[A]PYRENE
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Endocrine disruption (moderate), Persistence and bioaccumulation (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Ecotoxicology (low)
Cancer 

Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity 

Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity 

Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
Persistence and bioaccumulation
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | EPA PBTs - Waste Minimization Program (RCRA) |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | OSPAR PBTs - Substances of Possible Concern |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Great Lakes BTS (Binational Toxics Strategy) PBTs |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) |
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Cancer
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Known human carcinogen | World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC Monographs Programme on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Lists of Group 1, 2a, and 2b substances can be obtained. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/index.php; Vol 32, Suppl. 7, 92 ;in prep. |
Cancer - strong evidence | Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens (July 2004) can be obtained from http://wwwoehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html. |
Possible human carcinogen | California EPA Proposition 65 |
Possible human carcinogen | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Possible human carcinogen | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
Possible human carcinogen | EPA (US. Environmental Protection Agency). Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986 guidelines. |
Possible mutagen | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Cancer - limited evidence | Silent Spring's Mammary Carcinogens Reviews Database |
Endocrine disruption
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidence | European Commission on Endocrine Disruption |
Limited evidence of endocrine disruption | Keith, LH. (ed.). Environmental Endocrine Disruptors. John Wiley & Sons, NY. 1997. http://www.wileyeurope.com/cda/product/0,,0471191450%7Cdesc%7C3037,00.html, World Wildlife Fund. Our Stolen Future. Widespread Pollutants with Endocrine-disrupting Effects. http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Basics/chemlist.htm. The WWF list is derived from references detailed at http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Sources/chemsources.htm and was originally published in: Colborn, T., F.S. vom Saal, and A.M. Soto. Developmental Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals In Wildlife and Humans. Environmental Health Perspectives 101(5): 378-384. 1993. |
Limited evidence of wildlife and the environment disruption | European Commission on Endocrine Disruption |
endocrine - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | Thomas 1990 |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited evidence of developmental toxicity | Jankovic, J A Screening Method for Occupational Reproductive Health Risk. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal. 57: 641-649. 1996., Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens (July 2004) can be obtained from http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html.-PEND |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | US EPA, Air Risk Information Support Center Health Effects Notebook for Hazardous Air Pollutants. http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/hapindex.html, Foth, H. Role of the Lung in Accumulation and Metabolism of Xenobiotic compounds - Implications for Chemically Induced Toxicity. Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 25(2): 165-205. 1995. (Table 1:Toxic Damage of Lung by Foreign Compounds)., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. See Environmental Defense's Suspect Hazard Identification documentation. |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | nternational Programme of Chemical Safety Environmental Health Criteria 180 Principles and Methods for Assessing Direct Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Chemicals. World Health Organization. Geneva, 1996. (Table 1: Examples of compounds that are immunotoxic for humans or rodents). |
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Ecotoxicology
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | European Union - Water Framework Directive |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
122031 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Data Sources
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1998. Resource Conservatin and Recovery Act (RCRA) Waste Minimization Program - priority chemicals for elimination or reduction.
- Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature
- OSPAR (Oslo-Paris). 2002. OSPAR List of Substances of Possible Concern. Secondary OSPAR List of Substances of Possible Concern. Secondary OSPAR. Place Published, OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environement of North-East Atlanic.
- Great Lakes BTS (Binational Toxics Strategy). 1997. Canada-United States Strategy for the Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes. Appendix I - Level 1 and Level 2 substances.
- EC (Environment Canada). 1994. Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET). ARET substance list of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.
- World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC Monographs Programme on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Lists of Group 1, 2a, and 2b substances can be obtained. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/index.php; Vol 32, Suppl. 7, 92 ;in prep.
- Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens (July 2004) can be obtained from http://wwwoehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html.
- California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
- CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
- ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) 2008. ACGIH cancer classification system. www.acgih.org.
- EPA (US. Environmental Protection Agency). Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986 guidelines.
- Rudel RA, KR Attfield, JN Schifano and JG Brody. Chemicals Causing Mammary Gland Tumors in Animals Signal New Directions for Epidemiology, Chemicals Testing, and Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer Prevention. CANCER Supplement. 2007 Jun 15;109(12):2635-2666.
- EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998.
- Keith, LH. (ed.). Environmental Endocrine Disruptors. John Wiley & Sons, NY. 1997. http://www.wileyeurope.com/cda/product/0,,0471191450%7Cdesc%7C3037,00.html, World Wildlife Fund. Our Stolen Future. Widespread Pollutants with Endocrine-disrupting Effects. http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Basics/chemlist.htm. The WWF list is derived from references detailed at http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Sources/chemsources.htm and was originally published in: Colborn, T., F.S. vom Saal, and A.M. Soto. Developmental Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals In Wildlife and Humans. Environmental Health Perspectives 101(5): 378-384. 1993.
- Thomas 1990
- Jankovic, J A Screening Method for Occupational Reproductive Health Risk. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal. 57: 641-649. 1996., Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens (July 2004) can be obtained from http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html.-PEND
- US EPA, Air Risk Information Support Center Health Effects Notebook for Hazardous Air Pollutants. http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/hapindex.html, Foth, H. Role of the Lung in Accumulation and Metabolism of Xenobiotic compounds - Implications for Chemically Induced Toxicity. Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 25(2): 165-205. 1995. (Table 1:Toxic Damage of Lung by Foreign Compounds)., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. See Environmental Defense's Suspect Hazard Identification documentation.
- nternational Programme of Chemical Safety Environmental Health Criteria 180 Principles and Methods for Assessing Direct Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Chemicals. World Health Organization. Geneva, 1996. (Table 1: Examples of compounds that are immunotoxic for humans or rodents).
- EU (European Union). 2000. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC ) - integrated river basin management for Europe. List of priority substances.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
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