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| CONTENTS1.1 What is bromodichloromethane?1.2 How might I be exposed to bromodichloromethane?1.3 How can bromodichloromethane enter             and leave my body?1.4 How can bromodichloromethane affect             my health?1.5 Is there a medical test to determine             whether I have been exposed to bromodichloromethane?1.6 What levels of exposure have resulted             in harmful health effects?1.7 What recommendations has the federal             government made to protect human health?1.8 Where can I get more information?ReferencesRELATED RESOURCESToxFAQ™*45k*ToxFAQ™             en Español*91k*Public Health Statement *219k*Toxicological Profile*1.4MB*A-Z INDEXA�B�CD�E�FG�H�IJ�KLM�N�OP        Q�R�ST�U�VW�X�Y�ZATSDR RESOURCESToxFAQs™ToxFAQs™ en EspañolPublic Health StatementsToxicological ProfilesMinimum Risk LevelsMMGsMHMIsInteraction ProfilesPriority List of Hazardous SubstancesDivision of Toxicology                                 |  |  | December 1989Public Health StatementforBromodichloromethane CAS#75-27-4
**This Public Health Statement is the                     summary chapter from the Toxicological                     Profile for bromodichloromethane. It is one in a series                     of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and                     their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQs™,                     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 1-888-422-8737.**
 1.1                   What is bromodichloromethane?
Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) is a colorless,                     heavy, nonburnable liquid. BDCM does not usually exist as                     a liquid in the environment. Rather, it usually is found evaporated                     in air or dissolved in water. 

Most BDCM in the environment is formed                     as a by-product when chlorine is added to drinking water to                     kill disease-causing organisms. Small amounts of BDCM are                     also made in chemical plants for use in laboratories or in                     making other chemicals. A very small amount (less than 1%                     of the amount coming from human activities) is formed by algae                     in the ocean.  

BDCM evaporates quite easily, so most                     BDCM that escapes into the environment from chemical facilities,                     waste sites, or drinking water enters the atmosphere as a                     gas. BDCM is slowly broken down (about 90% in a year) by chemical                     reactions in the air. Any BDCM that remains in water or soil                     may also be broken down slowly by bacteria.  
back to top1.2                   How might I be exposed to bromodichloromethane?
For most people, the most likely means                     of exposure to BDCM is by drinking chlorinated water. Usually                     the levels in drinking water are between 1 and 10 ppb (parts                     per billion). BDCM is also found in some foods and beverages                     such as ice cream or soft-drinks that are made using chlorinated                     water, but this is probably not a major source of exposure.                     BDCM has been found in chlorinated swimming pools, where exposure                     might occur by breathing the vapors or through the skin. Exposure                     to BDCM might also occur by breathing BDCM in the air in or                     near a laboratory or factory that made or used BDCM. 

However, BDCM is not widely used in this                     country, so this is not likely for most people. Average levels                     of BDCM in air are usually quite low (less than 0.2 ppb).                     Another place where human exposure might occur is near a waste                     site where BDCM has been allowed to leak into water or soil.                     In this situation, people could be exposed by drinking the                     water or by getting the soil on their skin. BDCM has been                     found in water and soil at some waste sites (about 1% to 10%                     of those tested), usually at levels of 1 to 50 ppb. 
back to top1.3                   How can bromodichloromethane enter and leave my body?
Studies in animals show that almost all                     BDCM swallowed in water or food will enter the body by moving                     from the stomach or intestines into the blood. It is likely                     that BDCM would also move from the lungs into the blood if                     it were breathed in and would cross the skin if skin contact                     occurred, but this has not been studied. Bromodichloromethane                     leaves the body mostly by being breathed out through the lungs.                     Smaller amounts leave in the urine and feces. BDCM removal                     is fairly rapid and complete (about 95% in 8 hours), so it                     does not usually build up in the body. 
back to top1.4                   How can bromodichloromethane affect my health?
The effects of BDCM depend on how much                     is taken into the body. In animals, the main effect of eating                     or drinking large amounts of BDCM is injury to the liver and                     kidneys. These effects can occur within a short time after                     exposure. High levels can also cause effects on the brain,                     leading to incoordination and sleepiness. There is some evidence                     that BDCM can be toxic to developing fetuses, but this has                     not been well-studied. Studies in animals show that intake                     of BDCM for several years in food or water can lead to cancer                     of the liver, kidney and intestines. Although effects of BDCM                     have not been reported in humans, effects would probably occur                     if enough BDCM were taken into the body. 
back to top1.5                   Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed                   to bromodichloromethane?
Methods are available to measure low                     levels of BDCM in human blood, breath, urine and fat, but                     not enough information is available to use such tests to predict                     if any health effects might result. Because special equipment                     is needed, these tests are not usually done in doctors' offices.                     Because BDCM leaves the body fairly quickly, these methods                     are best suited to detecting recent exposures. 
back to top1.6                   What levels of exposure have resulted in harmful health effects?
It is not known at what levels BDCM causes                     harmful health effects in people. Liver and kidney damage                     have occurred when animals ate food with BDCM at levels of                     190 parts per million (ppm) and greater. Impaired fetal development                     was seen at levels of 1,000 ppm in rats. 
back to top1.7                   What recommendations has the federal government made to protect                   human health?
The EPA has set a Maximum Contaminant                     Level (MCL) of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) for the combination                     of bromodichloromethane and a group of similar compounds (called                     trihalomethanes) that occur in chlorinated water. The EPA                     recommends that levels of halomethanes in lakes and streams                     should be limited to 0.19 ppm to prevent possible health effects                     from drinking water or eating fish contaminated with this                     group of  chemicals.  

Any release to the environment greater                     than 5,000 pounds of bromodichloromethane must be reported                     to the EPA. 

The federal recommendations have been                     updated as of July 1999. 
back to top1.8 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**:
 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Division of Toxicology  1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32  Atlanta, GA 30333 
**Information line and technical assistance**:
Phone: 888-422-8737   FAX: (770)-488-4178
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health   clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses   resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. 

**To order toxicological profiles, contact**:
 National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA   22161 Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 back to topReferences
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease                     Registry (ATSDR). 1989. Toxicological                     profile for bromodichloromethane. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department                     of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.                    
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ATSDR Information Center / [email protected] /  1-888-422-8737This page was updated on  August , 2008

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