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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for RDX. It is one in 

a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter 

version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also available. This information is important because this substance may 

harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you 

are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, 

call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. 

This public health statement tells you about RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) and the effects of exposure 

to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the 

nation. These sites are then placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for long-term 

federal clean-up activities. RDX has been found in at least 31 of the 1,699 current or former NPL sites. 

Although the total number of NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, the possibility exists 

that the number of sites at which RDX is found may increase in the future as more sites are evaluated. 

This information is important because these sites may be sources of exposure and exposure to this 

substance may be harmful. 

When a substance is released either from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. Such a release does not always lead to exposure. You 

can be exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. 

If you are exposed to RDX, many factors will determine whether you will be harmed. These factors 

include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact with it. You must 

also consider any other chemicals you are exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and 

state of health. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

1.1 WHAT IS RDX? 

Other names for RDX RDX stands for Royal Demolition Explosive, 

also known as cyclonite, hexogen, and 

1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine. 

White crystalline solid RDX is an explosive on its own, and can be 

combined with other ingredients to make plastic 

explosives. Its odor and taste are unknown. 

When heated, acrid fumes may be released. 

Used in explosives RDX is used as an explosive. It is a synthetic 

product that does not occur naturally in the 

environment. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO RDX WHEN IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Found in water, soil, and air RDX particles can enter air when it is disposed 

of by burning. RDX can enter water from 

disposal of waste water from ammunition 

plants. RDX and can enter water or soil from 

spills or leaks from improper disposal at plants 

or hazardous waste sites. 

Removal from soil, water, and air RDX is slow dissolving in water. It does not 

bind significantly to soils and can leach to 

groundwater from soil. In water and air, RDX 

can break down in hours, but breaks down 

more slowly in soil. It does not build up in fish 

or people. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO RDX? 

Air Exposure to RDX can occur by the inhalation, 

oral, or dermal routes, or by any combination of 

these routes. Typically, only people who work 

with RDX can potentially breathe RDX dust or 

get it on their skin. You can be exposed if you 

breathe fumes of burning RDX. 

Water and soil You may be exposed to RDX by drinking 

contaminated water or by touching 

contaminated soil if you live near facilities that 

produce or use RDX. RDX has been found in 

water and soil near some ammunition plants 

and storage areas. 

Food RDX can be present in agricultural crops grown 

in contaminated soils irrigated with 

contaminated water. 

1.4 HOW CAN RDX ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

Enter the body

 • Inhalation 

 • Oral 

 • Dermal contact 

RDX can enter your body if you breathe in fumes of burning 

RDX or breath in the dust from powdered RDX. 

It can also enter the body if you drink water contaminated with 

RDX or accidentally or intentionally ingest explosives 

containing RDX. 

Much less RDX can enter the body through the skin if you 

come in contact with dusts of RDX or with liquids containing 

RDX. 

Leave your body Based on observations made in case reports and results from 

studies in animals, most of the RDX is probably broken down 

rapidly in the body. These products, as well as unchanged 

RDX, are eliminated in the urine and exhaled air in a few days. 

RDX is not expected to accumulate in the body. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

1.5 HOW CAN RDX AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

Humans If you breathe in dusts of RDX or intentionally or accidentally 

swallow large amounts of RDX, you may develop seizures. 

The seizures are temporary and will stop after the RDX is 

removed from your body. 

Some people exposed to large amounts of RDX also have 

alterations in blood pressure and in some components of the 

blood, but these effects may be secondary to the seizures. 

We do not know the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to 

RDX. 

Laboratory animals Animals that had large amounts of RDX placed in the stomach 

with a tube or that ate food mixed with RDX for longer periods 

of time suffered seizures. 

Rats and mice that ate RDX for 3 months or longer had 

decreased body weights and slight liver and kidney damage. 

Rats that ate food containing RDX for 2 years had inflammation 

of the prostate. 

Cancer There are no studies reported of cancer in people exposed to 

RDX. 

The EPA has determined that RDX is a possible human 

carcinogen based on the presence of liver tumors in mice that 

were exposed to RDX in the food for 1–2 years. 

1.6 HOW CAN RDX AFFECT CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

Effects in children There are no studies of children exposed to RDX, but a child 

who accidentally ingested RDX had seizures, which is the 

same effect that occurs in adults exposed to high amounts of 

RDX. 

We do not know whether children are more susceptible to the 

effects of RDX than adults. 

We do not know whether RDX causes birth defects in humans. 

Laboratory animals Exposure of animals to RDX during pregnancy has not caused 

birth defects in newborn animals. However, rats exposed to 

RDX during gestation gave birth to babies with smaller weight 

and length at levels that caused effects in the mothers. 

In rats exposed to RDX during pregnancy, RDX was able to 

pass through the placenta and reached the fetus. 

Young deer mice (21 days old) were more sensitive than older 

deer mice (50 days old) to the acute toxic effects of RDX. 

Breast milk There are no studies that looked for RDX in human breast milk. 

However, rats exposed to RDX during pregnancy had RDX in 

their milk, suggesting that the same can occur in humans. This 

means that women exposed to RDX who nurse their babies 

could transfer RDX to the babies in the milk. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO RDX? 

Consumer products RDX is not found in consumer products. Therefore, families 

are not expected to have contact with RDX through the use of 

consumer products. 

Drinking water Families whose tap or well water may be contaminated with 

RDX may choose to drink or cook with bottled water or to install 

activated carbon water filters. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO 

RDX? 

Detecting exposure RDX can be measured in blood and urine, but these are not 

routine tests that can be performed in a doctor’s office. 

We do not know whether the presence of RDX in the blood 

indicates that you were exposed briefly a few days before the 

blood was collected or that you are experiencing constant 

exposure. 

Measuring exposure The tests for RDX in blood and urine cannot be used to 

determine how much RDX entered your body. 

The presence of RDX in your blood does not necessarily mean 

that you will suffer adverse health effects. The usual immediate 

health effects are seizures, muscle twitching, or vomiting from 

very high exposures. These would probably occur before you 

had the blood or urine test. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations 

can be enforced by law. The EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are some federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances. Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, but cannot be 

enforced by law. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations that develop 

recommendations for toxic substances. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed as “not-to-exceed” levels. These are levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not exceed a critical value. This critical value is usually based 

on levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations because they used different exposure times 

(an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for RDX include the following: 

Levels in drinking water set by EPA The EPA has determined that exposure to RDX in 

drinking water at concentrations of 0.1 mg/L for one 

day or 0.1 mg/L for 10 days is not expected to cause 

any adverse effects in a child. 

The EPA has determined that lifetime exposure to 

0.002 mg/L RDX is not expected to cause any 

adverse effects. 

Levels in workplace air set by OSHA OSHA had previously set a legal limit of 1.5 mg/m3

 for 

RDX in March 1989; however, the standard was 

vacated in 1992. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, or contact ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics 

specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses that result from exposure to hazardous 

substances. 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You may 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM CD-ROM by calling the toll-free information and technical 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

RDX 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2010 

assistance number at 1-800-CDCINFO (1-800-232-4636), by e-mail at cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or by writing 

to: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine 

 1600 Clifton Road NE 

 Mailstop F-62 

 Atlanta, GA 30333

 Fax: 1-770-488-4178 

Organizations for-profit may request copies of final Toxicological Profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road

 Springfield, VA 22161

 Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/ 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov