Human activities, adverse effects

It is known that the brain is one of the most sensitive sites of action of steroids in utero, and recently there have been suggestions that EDs may affect normal brain development and behaviour. For example, it has been alleged that in utero exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) resulted in adverse effects on neurologic and intellectual function (memory and attention) in young children born to women who had eaten PCB contaminated fish in the USA." It has also been speculated that exposure to environmental pollutants with steroidal activity may be infinencing human sexual development and sexually controlled behavioiir." ... 

In several studies of toxicity, no adverse effects were documented in monkeys or humans. Taking into account data showing that lutein was not genotoxic, had no structural alert, did not exhibit tumor-promoting activity, and is a natural component of the body (the eye), the Scientific Steering Committee concluded there was no need for a study of carcinogenicity. 

Neurotoxicity. No information is available on neurotoxic effects of hexachloroethane in humans following any route of exposure. Acute inhalation exposure in rats caused staggering gait after exposure to high concentrations (5,900 ppm) (Weeks et al. 1979). The usefulness of this data is limited since this concentration was lethal. Tremors have been reported at 260 ppm but not 48 ppm following inhalation exposure of rats in a developmental study and in a study of 6-weeks duration (Weeks et al. 1979). The lack of tremors at 48 ppm in the developmental study serves as the basis for the acute inhalation MRL, and the lack of tremors at 48 ppm in the 6-week study serves as the basis for the intermediate inhalation MRL. One study that evaluated spontaneous motor activity and avoidance behavior in rats during 6 weeks of exposure to 260 ppm hexachloroethane vapors did not reveal adverse effects of hexachloroethane on these neurobehavioral functions (Weeks et al. 1979). 

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