A risk analysis of hexachlorobenzene-related reproductive outcomes.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) has been shown to produce reproductive effects in man and animals. The risks associated with hexachlorobenzene exposure have been determined for a litter using data from a feeding study by Kitchin et al. (1982). The total amount and the concentration of HCB in the litter has been estimated from a pharmacokinetic model. This estimate is consistent with the works of Kitchin et al. (1982), Courtney and Andrews (1985), and others which demonstrate that a large amount of HCB is transferred to the litter, and this quantity increases as a function of the number of lactating days. The transfer of large quantities of HCB caused a significant increase in the number of litters with greater than or equal to 10% mortality when total HCB in the litter was 29-57 mg, equivalent to a concentration of 220-310 micrograms/g. The pharmacokinetic model proved useful in estimating the total effective dose and concentration of HCB in the litter via the dam's experimental dose. The model was also able to calculate the equivalent human exposure, in order to compare it with actual HCB levels from human monitoring data.