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Chlordecone (Kepone)

CASRN 143-50-0 | DTXSID1020770

  • Toxicological Review (PDF) (183 pp, 1.03 M)
  • IRIS Summary (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K)
  • Status: EPA announced in a 2004 Federal Register Notice that chemicals used as pesticides would not be re-assessed by the IRIS Program. This entry in the IRIS database is preserved at the request of EPA program and regional offices. Additional toxicological information may be found under "Other EPA Information."

On this page:

  • IRIS Toxicity
    Values
  • Chemical
    Documents
  • Other EPA
    Information

Noncancer Assessment

Reference Dose for Oral Exposure (RfD) (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K) Last Updated: 09/22/2009

System RfD (mg/kg-day) Basis PoD Composite UF Confidence
Urinary 3 x 10 -4 Renal lesions (glomerulosclerosis) in female Wistar rats BMDL 10 : 0.08
mg/kg-day
300 Medium

Reference Concentration for Inhalation Exposure (RfC) (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K) Last Updated: 09/22/2009

Information reviewed but value not estimated.

Cancer Assessment

Weight of Evidence for Cancer (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K) Last Updated: 09/22/2009

WOE Characterization Framework for WOE Characterization
Likely to be carcinogenic to humans Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 2005)
Basis:
  • Under the U.S. EPA Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 2005a), chlordecone is "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" based on data from an oral cancer bioassay in rats and mice demonstrating an increase in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas in both sexes of both species (NCI, 1976a, b).
  • This may be a synopsis of the full weight-of-evidence narrative.

Quantitative Estimate of Carcinogenic Risk from Oral Exposure (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K)

Oral Slope Factor: 1 x 101 per mg/kg-day
Drinking Water Unit Risk: 3 x 10-4 per µg/L
Extrapolation Method: Multistage-Weibull model (implemented in TOX_RISK) with linear extrapolation from the POD (BMDL10).
Tumor site(s): Hepatic
Tumor type(s): liver hepatocellular carcinoma (NCI (1976a))


Quantitative Estimate of Carcinogenic Risk from Inhalation Exposure (PDF) (24 pp, 231 K)

Information reviewed but value not estimated.

Chemical Documents

Sep 2009: IRIS Toxicological Review and Summary Documents For Chlordecone (Kepone) (2009 Final) (Report)

Jul 2007: IRIS Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone) (External Review Draft) (Report)

Other EPA Information

Additional EPA toxicity information may be available by visiting the following sites:
  • Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides (HHBP). This database provides human health benchmarks for pesticides that may be present in drinking water.
  • Office of Pesticide Programs Pesticide Chemical Search. This database provides links to health effects information and registration status for pesticides.
  • Chemistry Dashboard. This database provides information on chemical structures, experimental and predicted physicochemical, and toxicity data.

Related Links

  • EPA Chemicals Dashboard - Chlordecone (Kepone)
  • eChemPortal - Chlordecone (Kepone)

Critical Effects

Urinary
Urinary

Tumor Sites

Hepatic
Hepatic

Chemical Structure

Chlordecone (Kepone)

Synonyms

  • Chlordecone (Kepone)
  • GC-1189
  • decachlorooctahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta[cd]-pentalen-2-one
  • 143-50-0
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