Methyl bromide toxicity

Drew RT. 1984. A 90-day inhalation study of methyl bromide toxicity in mice. (Unpublished study no. BNL 34506). Upton, NY Brookhaven National Laboratory. Accession No. 40578401. EPA 68D80056. 

Haber SB. 1987. A chronic inhalation study of methyl bromide toxicity in B6C3Pi mice. Report to National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, by Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY. 

Signs of methyl bromide toxicity following acute exposure include irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, tremor, incoordination, depression of the central nervous system and convulsions. Long-term exposure induces pulmonary congestion, central nervous system effects, and renal and hepatic lesions. After oral administration to rats, hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis (and squamous-cell carcinomas) of the forestomach were observed (lARC, 1986). 

O Neal, L. (1987) Acute methyl bromide toxicity. J. emerg. Nursing, 13, 96-98... 

The proposed mechanisms of toxicity include a direct cytotoxic effect of the intact methyl bromide molecule or toxicity due to one of its metabolites. The concentrations of arising bromide ion are insufficient to explain methyl bromide toxicity. However, in cases of methyl bromide poisoning, methyl bromide itself has been detected in human tissue on only one occasion (Marrac-cini et al. 1983). There is an inconsistency in the data as to whether there is a correlation between bromide levels and the symptoms of methyl bromide poisoning. In four lethal cases of people exposed to methyl bromide, Marraccini etal. (1983) found bromide ion concentrations in serum or plasma ranging from 40 to 583 mgL . Honma etal. (1985) concluded that the CNS toxicity seems to be due to the methyl bromide molecule itself or the methyl moiety incorporated into the tissue constituents and does not appear to be attributable to inorganic bromide or methyl alcohol. 

Molecular bromine is highly toxic, as is methyl bromide (CH3 Br), a dense gas used as an insecticide. Methyl bromide is produced by bromination of methane CH4 + Br2 CH3 Br + I Br Molecular bromine is also used in the synthesis of dyes and pharmaceuticals. 

Grosjean D (1991) Atmospheric chemistry of toxic contaminants. 4. Saturated halogenated aliphatics methyl bromide, epichlorhydrin, phosgene. J Air Waste Manage Assoc 41 56-61. 

Soil-applied pesticides have been successfully used to control soilbome diseases, weeds, and nematodes in most vegetable and fruit crops over the past decades. Toxicity of these materials to animals and humans and their environmental and economic costs (Pimentel et al. 1992 Ruzo 2006) raised serious environmental and human safety concerns, leading to the phase-out of the most effective and largely used chemical, the methyl bromide (Luken and Grof 2006), and the increasing restrictions on the applications of available pesticides (Perkins and Patterson 1997). The limited availability of chemicals resulted in an increased emphasis on... 

Grain and foodstuffs are constantly attacked by weevils. Fumigation with carbon bisulfide, methyl bromide, and Chlorosol fumigant (a carbon tetrachloride-ethylene dibromide mixture) provides effective control where storage areas are built to handle these materials. Such storage equipment is limited, so there is need for an insecticide with low mammalian toxicity in order to achieve continuous protection by direct application. 

This includes bioremediation cases of contaminated sites with several toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, dichlorobenzene, chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, Dicamba, methyl bromide, trinitrotoluene, silicon-based organic compounds, dioxins, alkyl-phenol polyethoxylates, nonylphenol ethoxylates, and polychlorinated biphenyls. The following is a brief summary of each case. 

Alexeeff GV, Kilgore WW, Munoz P, et al. 1985. Determination of acute toxic effects in mice following exposure to methyl bromide. J Toxicol Environ Health 15 109-123. 

EPA. 1985. Chemical hazard information profile Methyl bromide. Washington, DC U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Toxic Substances. 

Hurtt ME, Morgan KT, Working PK. 1987a. Histopathology of acute toxic responses in selected tissues from rats exposed by inhalation to methyl bromide. Fundam AppI Toxicol 9 352-365. 

Reuzel PG, Kuper CF, Dreef-Van Der Meulen HC, et al. 1987. Chronic (29- month) inhalation toxicity and carcinogenicity study of methyl bromide in rats. Zeist, The Netherlands Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Division for Nutrition and Food Research. Report No. V86.469/221044, Project No. B82/1044. 

Thomas DA, Morgan KT. 1988. Olfactory toxicity Studies of methyl bromide. CUT Activities 8 3-7. 

Thomas DA, Lacy SA, Morgan KT, et al. 1989a. Studies on the mechanism of methyl bromide-induced olfactory toxicity [Abstract]. Toxicologist 9 37. 

Watrous RM. 1942. Methyl bromide, local and mild systemic toxic effects. Ind Med 11 575-579. 

The trialkyl-5-amino derivatives possess analgesic activity. Their quaternary salts with methyl bromide are very toxic. Most 5-dialkylamino derivatives, as well as the amides, showed analgesic, hypothermic, and antipyretic activity, with less toxicity than aminopyrine. They also appear to have a tranquillizing action. 

Mitsumori K, Malta K, Kosaka T, et ah Two-year oral chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study in rats of diets fumigated with methyl bromide. Food Chem Toxicol 28 109-119, 1990... 

Reuzel PGJ, Dreef-van der Meulen HC, Hollanders VMH, et ah Chronic inhalation toxicity and carcinogenicity study of methyl bromide in Wistar rats. Food Chem Toxicol 29 31-39, 1991... 

The highly toxic pesticide, methyl bromide or CHsBr, is diffusing through air. Estimate the mean velocity and mean free path of the methyl bromide molecules at an atmospheric pressure of 1 atm and a room temperature of 20° C. 

Some HAPs impact not only the troposphere but also the stratosphere. The most obvious example is highly toxic methyl bromide, CH3Br, used as a soil fumigant as well as for treatment of buildings for termites. As discussed in Chapter 12, this is a significant source of stratospheric bromine and hence contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Its continued use has been controversial and is being phased out (e.g., see Thomas, 1996 Ristaino and Thomas, 1997 and Duafala, 1996). 

Grosjean, D., Atmospheric Chemistry of Toxic Contaminants. 4. Saturated Halogenated Aliphatics Methyl Bromide, Epichlorhy-drin, Phosgene, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc., 41, 56-61 (1991b). 

The toxicity of methyl bromide has been reviewed (WHO, 1995 Yang et al., 1995). 

Bolon, B., Bonnefoi, M.S., Roberts, K.C., Marshall, M.W. Morgan, K.T. (1991) Toxic interactions in the rat nose pollutants from soiled bedding and methyl bromide. Toxicol. Pathol., 19, 571-579... 

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