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| CONTENTS1.1 What is bromomethane?1.2 How might I be exposed to bromomethane?1.3 How can bromomethane enter and leave             my body?1.4 How can bromomethane affect my health?1.5 Is there a medical test to determine             whether I have been exposed to bromomethane?1.6 What recommendations has the federal             government made to protect human health?1.7 Where can I get more information?ReferencesRELATED RESOURCESToxFAQ™*43k*ToxFAQ™             en Español*30k*Public Health Statement *60k*Toxicological Profile*2MB*MMG*66k*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                                 |  |  | September 1992Public Health StatementforBromomethane CAS#74-83-9
**This Public Health Statement is the                     summary chapter from the Toxicological                     Profile for bromomethane. 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.**
 
This Statement was prepared to give you information about                     bromomethane and to emphasize the human health effects that                     may result from exposure to it. The Environmental Protection                     Agency (EPA) has identified 1,177 sites on its National Priorities                     List (NPL). Bromomethane has been found in at least 12 of                     these sites. However, we do not know how many of the 1,177                     NPL sites have been evaluated for bromomethane. As EPA evaluates                     more sites, the number of sites at which bromomethane is found                     may change. This information is important for you to know                     because bromomethane may cause harmful health effects and                     because these sites are potential or actual sources of human                     exposure to bromomethane.  

When a chemical is released from a large area, such as an                     industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle,                     it enters the environment as a chemical emission. This emission,                     which is also called a release, does not always lead to exposure.                     You can be exposed to a chemical only when you come into contact                     with the chemical. You may be exposed to it in the environment                     by breathing, eating, or drinking substances containing the                     chemical or from skin contact with it.  

If you are exposed to a hazardous chemical such as bromomethane,                     several factors will determine whether harmful health effects                     will occur and what the type and severity of those health                     effects will be. These factors include the dose (how much),                     the duration (how long), the route or pathway by which you                     are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact),                     the other chemicals to which you are exposed, and your individual                     characteristics such as age, sex, nutritional status, family                     traits, life style, and state of health.  
 1.1                   What is bromomethane?
Bromomethane (also called methyl bromide) is a colorless                     gas without much smell. Some bromomethane is formed in the                     ocean, probably by algae or kelp. However, most is made by                     humans to kill various pests (rats, insects, fungus, etc.)                     that might be present in homes, foods, or soil. Some bromomethane                     is also used to make other chemicals.  

Bromomethane is usually stored in sealed containers to keep                     it from evaporating. If leaking containers of bromomethane                     are put in a waste site, most of the bromomethane will probably                     escape into the air. Small amounts might leak into the soil                     or pass through the soil and dissolve in underground water.                     Bromomethane has been found in underground water at two hazardous                     waste sites on the NPL.  

Bromomethane breaks down in the environment to other chemicals.                     In air, it usually takes about 11 months for half the bromomethane                     that was released to disappear. In underground water, it usually                     takes about 1 month for half the bromomethane to break down.  
back to top1.2                   How might I be exposed to bromomethane?
Because bromomethane is a gas, you are                     most likely to be exposed by breathing it in air. In most                     places around the world, levels in air are usually less than                     0.025 parts of bromomethane per billion parts of air (ppb).                     Some cities have higher levels (up to about 1�2 ppb) because                     of releases from chemical factories and automobile exhausts.                     You will probably not be exposed to high levels unless you                     are near a place where bromomethane is being used for fumigation.                     Workers who fumigate homes or fields may be exposed to very                     high levels if proper safety precautions are not followed.                     Because bromomethane evaporates so quickly, it is usually                     not found in food, surface water, or soil. 
back to top1.3                   How can bromomethane enter and leave my body?
If bromomethane is present at a waste                     site, you are most likely to be exposed to it by breathing                     the vapors in contaminated air. You might also be exposed                     by drinking water from contaminated wells, although this is                     less likely. If you breathe in bromomethane, about half of                     it will pass through your lungs and enter your blood. Studies                     in animals suggest that if you swallow bromomethane in water,                     nearly all of it will pass through your stomach or intestines                     and enter your body. Bromomethane that enters your body either                     from your lungs or stomach is quickly spread throughout your                     body by your blood. Most bromomethane in your body is broken                     down into other chemicals, and these chemicals leave your                     body in the urine or in the air you breathe out. This usually                     begins happening within minutes, and is usually nearly complete                     within several days. We do not know how much bromomethane                     can enter your body through the skin, but the amount is probably                     small. 
back to top1.4                   How can bromomethane affect my health?
If you breathe bromomethane, you may develop a headache and                     begin to feel weak and nauseated several hours later. If you                     breathe a large amount, fluid may build up in your lungs and                     it may be hard to breathe. You may have muscle tremors, and                     sometimes even seizures. Your kidneys may also be injured,                     and urine production may slow or stop. In severe cases, these                     effects can lead to death. In less serious cases, most of                     these effects usually disappear after several weeks, but some                     of the effects may never go away. 

Studies in animals suggest that if you swallow bromomethane,                     you might experience stomach irritation but would probably                     not experience lung, kidney, or brain injury. Bromomethane                     that gets on your skin can cause itching, redness, and blisters.  

Studies in animals also suggest that bromomethane does not                     cause birth defects and does not interfere with normal reproduction                     except at high exposure levels. Animals that breathed bromomethane                     for 2 years did not develop cancer. Animals that swallowed                     bromomethane for 25 weeks had changes in their stomachs that                     could have been an early sign of cancer, but we do not know                     if swallowing bromomethane for a longer time would cause cancer.                     Both the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the                     EPA have determined that bromomethane is not classifiable                     as to its carcinogenicity in humans.  
back to top1.5                   Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed                   to bromomethane?
Several tests are available to tell whether                     you have been exposed to bromomethane, but each has limitations.                     The most direct test measures bromomethane in your blood or                     in the air you breathe out. However, this test is not usually                     used because most bromomethane does not stay in the body very                     long (see Section 1.3) and special                     measuring equipment is needed. More often, the main breakdown                     product of bromomethane (bromide) is measured in blood samples.                     Bromide is normally present in the blood of all people, but                     the levels of bromide increase when people are exposed to                     bromomethane. The amount of increase depends on the level                     of exposure. Tests for bromide are only useful if done within                     1-2 days following exposure, and are not very helpful in predicting                     if exposed persons will have health effects or how serious                     the effects will be, because not all people respond to bromomethane                     the same way. 
back to top1.6                   What recommendations has the federal government made to protect                   human health?
Concentrated bromomethane can be very                     dangerous, so the EPA allows only licensed professional fumigators                     to buy or use bromomethane. The government does not have any                     regulations at present about how much bromomethane can be                     present in outdoor air or water, but EPA requires water companies                     to test for this chemical in their water. The Food and Drug                     Administration (FDA) has set limits of 125�400 parts of bromide                     per million parts of food (ppm) for how much bromide may remain                     in food after the food is treated with bromomethane. The Occupational                     Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) limits the average level of                     bromomethane in workplace air to 5 ppm, and recommends that                     exposures be reduced to the lowest level feasible. 
back to top1.7                   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). 1992. Toxicological                     profile for bromomethane. 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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