Author Description

A concise assessment of the risks to human health and the environment posed by exposure to 2-furaldehyde. The chemical is produced commercially for industrial use in the production of resins, abrasive wheels and refractories, refining of lubrication oils, and solvent recovery. Although 2-furaldehyde is present in many food items as a natural product or contaminant, emphasis is placed on the more important risks to health that occur in occupational settings. Concerning presence in the environment, the highest reported emissions are from the wood pulp industry, which releases 2-furaldehyde predominantly in the vapor phase. The chemical has been found in water samples near industrial sites, in air, and in a range of food items. Data from animal studies indicate that 2-furaldehyde is readily absorbed via the inhalation and dermal exposure routes and rapidly excreted via the urine. In humans, studies show absorption of the chemical in vapor form via the lungs and skin and excretion via the urine. Studies of toxic effects in animals provide evidence of both carcinogenic and genotoxic effects. The principal neoplastic effects observed include increases in hepatocellular adenomas and hepatocellular carcinomas and an increased incidence of skin tumors. The assessment of health effects in humans concentrates on occupational exposures in the petrochemical distillation and food flavoring industries and during the manufacturing of resins, polymers, and abrasive wheels. Data from human studies were judged to be extremely limited and of poor quality. Based on findings from animal studies, the report concludes that a potential risk of carcinogenic and genotoxic effects exists in the occupational environment and that exposure levels should be reduced as low as possible, using currently available protective technology.