Several chlorinated acetones have been identified in
drinking water and these, as well as a number of chlorinated acroleins, are produced by chlorination of
humic acid solutions. Many of these chlorinated compounds and the brominated
acrolein analog were positive in the Ames Assay in the laboratory. To determine if carcinogenic activity was associated with these chemicals the following
acetone derivatives: monochloro (MCA); 1,1-dichloro (1,1-DCA), 1,3-dichloro (1,3-DCA), 1,1,1-trichloro (1,1,1-TCA), 1,1,3-trichloro (1,1,3-TCA), and substituted acroleins: 2-chloro (CAC), 3,3-dichloro (DCAC), 2,3,3-trichloro (TCAC) and 2-bromo (BAC), were applied topically to SENCAR mice (25, 30, or 40/group) at the following dose levels: 50 mg/kg (MCA and 1,1,3-TCA); 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg (1,3-DCA); 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg (CAC, DCAC, and TCAC); 200 and 300 mg/kg (BAC); and 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg (1,1-DCA, and 1,1,1-TCA). Doses were applied six times over a 2-week period in 0.2 ml
ethanol per application. 1,3-DCA was also tested with single doses of 37.5, 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg in 0.2 ml
ethanol. Control animals received 0.2 ml
ethanol per application as a single dose or multiple doses to match corresponding studies. Two weeks after the final dose, 1.0 microgram TPA in 0.2 ml
acetone was applied three times weekly for 20 weeks. After 24 weeks the percentage of animals with
tumors for dose groups above were: MCA (8); 1,1,3-TCA (10); 1,3-DCA, multiple doses (48, 45, 32); CAC (30, 28, 38); DCAC (3, 0, 0); TCAC (10, 5, 0); BAC (54, 43); 1,1-DCA (0, 5, 0); 1,1,1-TCA (10, 5, 0); 1,3-DCA, single doses (47, 47, 63, 20); controls (12--Table 3, 9--Table 4 average). These data show that 1,3-DCA, CAC and BAC, when applied topically, initiate
tumors in the mouse skin. These chemicals administered orally in a 2%
emulphor solution, at doses described in Table 3, did not initiate
tumors in the mouse skin.