Evaluation of the Carcinogenicity of the Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Used as Pesticides.

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Abstract
The relevant information concerning the long-term experiments with the most commonly used chlorinated hydrocarbons are reviewed and tabulated. Some experiments with DDT, aldrin, dieldrin and heptachlor gave evidence of a weak carcinogenicity for laboratory animals; the results however have not been unequivocally confirmed. The following possibilities are discussed: 1) that the tumors produced in some experiments are related to a real carcinogenicity of the chemicals under investigation, 2) that they belong to the group of the « spontaneous » tumors, 3) that they are the result of a synergistic action of the pesticide and other factors. None of these suggestions can give a comprehensive interpretation of all the experimental results. It is emphasized that a dose-response relationship has not been demonstrated in any of the experiments under review and that, particularly for DDT, the purity of the chemical was reported only in a few instances. Carbon tetrachloride produced hepatomas in mice and hamsters; however, its use in agriculture does not appear to create a major carcinogenic hazard for men.