DIBENZ(a,h)ACRIDINE

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": A high-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) or charcoal filters can be used to minimize amt of carcinogen in exhausted air ventilated safety cabinets, lab hoods, glove boxes or animal rooms ... Filter housing that is designed so that used filters can be transferred into plastic bag without contaminating maintenance staff is avail commercially. Filters should be placed in plastic bags immediately after removal ... The plastic bag should be sealed immediately ... The sealed bag should be labelled properly ... Waste liquids ... should be placed or collected in proper containers for disposal. The lid should be secured & the bottles properly labelled. Once filled, bottles should be placed in plastic bag, so that outer surface ... is not contaminated ... The plastic bag should also be sealed & labelled. ... Broken glassware ... should be decontaminated by solvent extraction, by chemical destruction, or in specially designed incinerators. /Chemical Carcinogens/

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational harm/injury/toxicity or environmental contamination. Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in soil or water; effects on animal and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

SRP: Wastewater from contaminant suppression, cleaning of protective clothing/equipment, or contaminated sites should be contained and evaluated for subject chemical or decomposition product concentrations. Concentrations shall be lower than applicable environmental discharge or disposal criteria. Alternatively, pretreatment and/or discharge to a permitted wastewater treatment facility is acceptable only after review by the governing authority and assurance that "pass through" violations will not occur. Due consideration shall be given to remediation worker exposure (inhalation, dermal and ingestion) as well as fate during treatment, transfer and disposal. If it is not practicable to manage the chemical in this fashion, it must be evaluated in accordance with EPA 40 CFR Part 261, specifically Subpart B, in order to determine the appropriate local, state and federal requirements for disposal.

SRP: At the time of review, criteria for land treatment or burial (sanitary landfill) disposal practices are subject to significant revision. Prior to implementing land disposal of waste residue (including waste sludge), consult with environmental regulatory agencies for guidance on acceptable disposal practices.

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": There is no universal method of disposal that has been proved satisfactory for all carcinogenic compounds & specific methods of chem destruction ... published have not been tested on all kinds of carcinogen-containing waste. ... summary of avail methods & recommendations ... /given/ must be treated as guide only. /Chemical Carcinogens/

For more Disposal Methods (Complete) data for DIBENZ(A,H)ACRIDINE (8 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

SRP: Contaminated protective clothing should be segregated in such a manner so that there is no direct personal contact by personnel who handle, dispose, or clean the clothing. The completeness of the cleaning procedures should be considered before the decontaminated protective clothing is returned for reuse by the workers. Contaminated clothing should not be taken home at the end of shift, but should remain at employee's place of work for cleaning.

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Smoking, drinking, eating, storage of food or of food & beverage containers or utensils, & the application of cosmetics should be prohibited in any laboratory. All personnel should remove gloves, if worn, after completion of procedures in which carcinogens have been used. They should ... wash ... hands, preferably using dispensers of liq detergent, & rinse ... thoroughly. Consideration should be given to appropriate methods for cleaning the skin, depending on nature of the contaminant. No standard procedure can be recommended, but the use of organic solvents should be avoided. Safety pipettes should be used for all pipetting. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": In animal laboratory, personnel should remove their outdoor clothes & wear protective suits (preferably disposable, one-piece & close-fitting at ankles & wrists), gloves, hair covering & overshoes. ... Clothing should be changed daily but ... discarded immediately if obvious contamination occurs ... /also,/ workers should shower immediately. In chemical laboratory, gloves & gowns should always be worn ... however, gloves should not be assumed to provide full protection. Carefully fitted masks or respirators may be necessary when working with particulates or gases, & disposable plastic aprons might provide addnl protection. If gowns are of distinctive color, this is a reminder that they should not be worn outside of lab. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Operations connected with synth & purification ... should be carried out under well-ventilated hood. Analytical procedures ... should be carried out with care & vapors evolved during ... procedures should be removed. ... Expert advice should be obtained before existing fume cupboards are used ... & when new fume cupboards are installed. It is desirable that there be means for decreasing the rate of air extraction, so that carcinogenic powders can be handled without ... powder being blown around the hood. Glove boxes should be kept under negative air pressure. Air changes should be adequate, so that concn of vapors of volatile carcinogens will not occur. /Chemical Carcinogens/

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for DIBENZ(A,H)ACRIDINE (10 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 154 [Substances - Toxic and/or Corrosive (Non-Combustible)]:

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Dispensers of liq detergent /should be available./ ... Safety pipettes should be used for all pipetting. ... In animal laboratory, personnel should ... wear protective suits (preferably disposable, one-piece & close-fitting at ankles & wrists), gloves, hair covering & overshoes. ... In chemical laboratory, gloves & gowns should always be worn ... however, gloves should not be assumed to provide full protection. Carefully fitted masks or respirators may be necessary when working with particulates or gases, & disposable plastic aprons might provide addnl protection. ... Gowns ... /should be/ of distinctive color, this is a reminder that they are not to be worn outside the laboratory. /Chemical Carcinogens/

TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 9.4X10+4(SRC), determined from a log Kow of 5.73(2) and a regression-derived equation(3), indicates that dibenz(a,h)acridine is expected to be immobile in soil(SRC). Volatilization of dibenz(a,h)acridine from moist soil surfaces is not expected to be an important fate process(SRC) given an estimated Henry's Law constant of 1.9X10-9 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), using a fragment constant estimation method(4). Dibenz(a,h)acridine is not expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon an estimated vapor pressure of 7.5X10-10 mm Hg at 25 °C(SRC), determined from a fragment constant method(5). Utilizing activated sludge from 3 municipal treatment plants, 0.3-9.3% of the theoretical oxygen demand was reached in 144 hours(6), suggesting that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in soil(SRC).

AQUATIC FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 9.3X10+4(SRC), determined from a log Kow of 5.73(2) and a regression-derived equation(3), indicates that dibenz(a,h)acridine is expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment(SRC). Volatilization from water surfaces is not expected(4) based upon an estimated Henry's Law constant of 1.9X10-9 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), developed using a fragment constant estimation method(5). According to a classification scheme(6), a BCF of 100 measured in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)(7), suggests bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is high, provided the compound is not metabolized by the organism(SRC). Utilizing activated sludge from 3 municipal treatment plants, 0.3-9.3% of the theoretical oxygen demand was reached in 144 hours(8), suggesting that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in water(SRC).

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), dibenz(a,h)acridine, which has an estimated vapor pressure of 7.5X10-10 mm Hg at 25 °C(SRC), determined from a fragment constant method(2), is expected to exist solely in the particulate phase in the ambient atmosphere. Particulate-phase dibenz(a,h)acridine may be removed from the air by wet or dry deposition(SRC). Dibenz(a,h)acridine absorbs light at wavelengths >290 nm(3), and therefore may be susceptible to direct photolysis by sunlight(SRC).

Dibenz(a,h)acridine was detected in air from residential coal furnace stacks at a concentration of 17 mg/1000 cu m gas. It was detected in a catalyst regeneration flue gas of a gas-oil stock from an oil refinery at concentrations ranging from <0.12 to 0.7 mg/1000 cu m gas(1). Dibenz(a,h)acridine was detected in a coal tar pitch polluted air sample at a concentration of 0.01 mg/1000 cu m air(1). Dibenz(a,h)acridine was detected in automobile exhaust at levels lower than 0.3 ug/g benzene soluble fraction, in coal burning effluent at 160 ug/g benzene soluble fraction, and at 4.0 ug/g in incinerator effluent(2). The compound was detected in fly ash from a municipal waste incinerator(3). The average urban air contains 0.2 ng/cu m dibenz(a,h)acridine(4).

Exam of several air pollution source effluents reveals...levels of 17 mg/1000 cu m of gas in domestic coal combustion stack effluent, less than 0.12 and 0.7 mg/1000 cu m of gas in petroleum refinery incinerator effluents and 0.01 mg/1000 cu m in air polluted by coal-tar pitch...

Levels below 300 ug/kg of benzene sol fraction have been found in motor exhaust gas... db(a,h)ac occurs in cigarette smoke condensate...

The primary source of PAHs in air is the incomplete combustion of wood and fuel for residential heating. The PAHs are found in gasoline or diesel motor vehicle exhaust, by-products of open fires or refuse burning, coal tar, coal tar pitch, coke tars or coke oven emissions, creosote, mineral oils, bitumens, industrial smoke and soot, cigarette and cigar tobacco and smoke, tar, or smoke condensates, and charcoal-broiled foods(1). /Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons/

Other sources of incidentally generated PAHs include coal and coal combustion, petroleum refinery incinerators ... incomplete combustion of diesel and kerosene, soot, and marijuana smoke ... (1). /Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Whenever medical surveillance is indicated, in particular when exposure to a carcinogen has occurred, ad hoc decisions should be taken concerning ... /cytogenetic and/or other/ tests that might become useful or mandatory. /Chemical Carcinogens/

The Koc of dibenz(a,h)acridine is estimated as 9.4X10+4(SRC), using a log Kow of 5.73(1) and a regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this estimated Koc value suggests that dibenz(a,h)acridine is expected to be immobile in soil. A log Koc of 6.44 has been measured using humic acid(4), corresponding to a Koc of 2.7X10+5(SRC). Using HPLC columns, capacity coefficients to humic and fulvic acid decrease in the order of dibenz(c,h)acridine, dibenz(a,c)acridine/dibenz(a,h)acridine, dibenz(a,j)acridine(5). Dibenz(a,h)acridine was readily absorbed by organic rich sludge at a 1:10,000 and 1:1000 water:biosludge ratio giving Koc values of 55167 for the neutral species and 2059 for the cationic species(pH < 3.0)(6). Dibenz(a,h)acridine was detected in a mixture of compounds during the investigation of bottom material from an overflow impoundment from an abandoned wood-treatment facility(7). Dibenz(a,h)acridine did not leach into a nearby shallow aquifer(7), again suggesting that this compound is essentially immobile in soil(SRC).

URBAN/SUBURBAN: Dibenz(a,h)acridine was measured at concentrations of 0.2 and 0.08 ng/cu m air for a residential area and a busy street, respectively, in Copenhagen in February in 1976-1982(1). Urban atmospheric air from Tokyo showed dibenz(a,h)acridine at a concentration of 0.36 ug/g of particulates; this compares to a concentration of 0.6 ug/g of particulates measured in the United States and a concentration of 50 ug/g of particulates measured for coal tar pitch polluted air(2). Dibenzacridines were detected during the measurement of aerosols in Belgium at two monitoring stations from 1976-1979. The mass median equivalent diameter ranged from 0.61-1.2 um(3). The concentration of dibenz(a,h)acridine in the average American urban atmosphere was determined to be 0.6 ug/g airborne particles or 0.08 ug/1000 m cu air(5) up to 0.2 ug/cu m(6).

Dibenz(a,h)acridine is directly released to the environment as an incomplete combustion product of organic compounds and is found in automobile exhaust, coal-burning effluent, and incinerator effluent(1). It is also found in cigarette smoke condensate(1).

AEROBIC: Dibenz(a,h)acridine at a concentration of 500 mg/L was incubated aerobically for 144 hours with activated sludge from three Tennessee municipal treatment plants (Ashland City, Franklin, and Nashville)(1). Ashland City at 2500 mg/L activated sludge gave 0.3%, 0.5% and 0.7% of the theoretical oxygen demand at 24, 72, 144 hours, respectively. At a sludge concentration of 5000 mg/L, 0.9 and 5.0% of the theoretical oxygen demand was reached at 24 and 144 hours, respectively. Nashville at 2500 mg/L activated sludge gave 0.9%, 3.1%, and 4.6% of the theoretical oxygen demand at 24, 72, and 144 hours, respectively. At a sludge concentration of 5000 mg/L, 1.2 and 17.3% of the theoretical oxygen demand was reached at 24 and 144 hours, respectively. Dibenz(a,h)acridine was toxic to the Franklin sludge except at the 24 hour timepoint (0.2% of the theoretical oxygen demand). At a sludge concentration of 5000 mg/L, however, 2.8 and 9.3% of the theoretical oxygen demand was reached at 24 and 144 hours, respectively(1).

SEDIMENT: Dibenz(a,h)acridine was detected at unreported concentrations during investigations of bottom material from an overflow impoundment from an abandoned wood-treatment facility near Pensacola, Florida(1). Dibenz(a,c or a,h)acridine was detected in Lake Zurich surface sediments at a concentration of 35 ng/g and in Lake Lucerne sediments at a concentration of 5.0 ng/g(2). Street dust was measured at 260 ng/g dibenz(a,c or a,h)acridine(2).

Dibenz[a,h]acridine

Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans

Volume 32: (1983) Polynuclear Aromatic Compounds, Part 1: Chemical, Environmental and Experimental Data

2013

2011

Produced from incomplete combustion of organic substances; Used for biochemical research; [HSDB]

BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH

(1975) NOT PRODUCED COMMERCIALLY IN US

(1977) NOT PRODUCED COMMERCIALLY IN US