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Bromate: concern for developmental neurotoxicity?
1Neurotoxicology Division, MD-B105-04, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA. crofton.kevin@epa.gov
Toxicology
|March 7, 2006
Summary
Bromate, a drinking water contaminant, may pose risks. Further studies on low-dose, long-term exposure effects are needed to determine if developmental neurotoxicity studies are necessary.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Ozonation of drinking water can produce bromate, a potential contaminant.
- Assessing human health risks, including developmental neurotoxicity, is a regulatory challenge.
- Existing data on bromate's neurotoxic effects at environmental exposure levels is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the necessity of a developmental neurotoxicity study for bromate.
- To assess the weight of evidence regarding bromate's potential neurotoxic effects.
- To identify research gaps in understanding bromate's impact on development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing toxicological data on bromate.
- Analysis of human and rodent studies on bromate exposure.
- Comparison of exposure levels in studies versus environmental concentrations.
Main Results:
- Bromate causes adult neurotoxicity and ototoxicity at high acute doses.
- Exposure margins in current studies are wide compared to environmental levels.
- No evidence links bromate to developmental neurotoxicity or thyroid disruption.
Conclusions:
- The need for a developmental neurotoxicity study for bromate remains uncertain.
- Further research on chronic, low-dose bromate exposure and ototoxicity is recommended.
- Such studies will inform the weight-of-evidence approach for risk assessment.