[On the contamination of milk and milk products with chlorinated hydrocarbons. I. Methods]

2: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Propylene Carbonate

Propylene Carbonate is a nonviscous, clear liquid that is used in cosmetic products at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 5%. Undiluted Propylene Carbonate produced minimal to moderate ocular irritation and slight erythema in rabbits. The dermal LD50 in rabbits of the undiluted ingredient was >20 ml/kg. Undiluted Propylene Carbonate was nontoxic by inhalation to dogs and guinea pigs in a 21-day study. Propylene Carbonate was negative for mutagenicity in the Ames Assay, and negative for genotoxicity in the Rat He-patocyte Primary Culture/DNA Repair Test. In clinical studies, undiluted Propylene Carbonate caused moderate skin irritation, whereas 5 and 10% Propylene Carbonate in aqueous solution produced no skin irritation or sensitization. Cosmetic products containing up to 20% Propylene Carbonate were essentially nonsensitizing and, at most, moderately irritating to human skin, nonphototoxic, and nonphotosensitizing. It is concluded that Propylene Carbonate is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.

[Capillary gas chromatographic separation of residues of chlorohydrocarbons in foods and identification of Mirex in human fat tissue]

The residue analysis of organochloroinsecticides could be substantially improved by using glass capillary columns. The special advantages of the capillary gas chromatography (separation of complex mixtures, simultaneous determination of by-components, improved reliability at the identification, increased sensitivity) can be used with right handling to directly separate the whole mixture of chlorohydrocarbons that are to be met in foods (insecticides, HCB and PCB). The identification is possible even of microgram amounts per kg substance by a direct coupling of GC and MS working without carrier gas separator. In this way the occurrence of Mirex in samples of human fat tissues could be demonstrated.