ToxFAQs™ for Acrylamide
CAS#: 79-06-1
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about acrylamide. For more information, call the
CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and
their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of
exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and
whether other chemicals are present.
Highlights
The general population is exposed to acrylamide by eating contaminated food. Acrylamide affects the nervous system and reproductive system. This chemical has been found in at least 3 of the 1,699 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a colorless, odorless, crystalline solid that can react violently when melted. When it is heated, sharp fumes may be released.
Acrylamide is used to make polyacrylamide, which is mainly used in treating waste water discharge from water treatment plants and industrial processes.
In addition, acrylamide and polyacrylamides are used in
the production of dyes and organic chemicals, contact
lenses, cosmetics and toiletries, permanent-press fabrics,
paper and textile production, pulp and paper production,
ore processing, sugar refining, and as a chemical grouting
agent and soil stabilizer for the construction of tunnels,
sewers, wells and reservoirs.
Acrylamide is formed in foods that are rich in carbohydrates when they are fried, grilled, or baked.
What happens to acrylamide when it
enters the environment?
- It may enter drinking water during the water treatment process.
- It is not usually found in air.
- It is broken down quickly by bacteria in soil
and water.
- It is removed from soil by hydrolysis.
- It is not expected to bioaccumulate in
the environment.
How might I be exposed to acrylamide?
- Eating carbohydrate-rich foods that are cooked at
high temperatures.
- Breathing second-hand tobacco smoke.
- Drinking water from wells near plastic or dye plants.
- Working in the production or use of acrylamide
and acrylamide containing products (exposure may
occur through skin contact).
How can acrylamide affect my health?
The main targets of acrylamide toxicity are the nervous
system and reproductive system.
Nervous system effects such as muscle weakness,
numbness in hands and feet, sweating, unsteadiness, and
clumsiness were reported in some acrylamide workers.
However, most people are not exposed to acrylamide
levels high enough to cause these effects.
Acrylamide reduces the ability of male animals to produce
offspring and could cause similar effects in humans, but
not likely at exposure levels experienced by most people.
How likely is acrylamide to cause cancer?
Acrylamide has caused several types of cancer in animals. Adequate human data are not available.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have concluded that acrylamide is likely to be carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence of cancer in animals
How can acrylamide affect children?
Acrylamide is expected to affect children in the same
manner as adults.
Acrylamide can cross the placenta and result in
exposure to unborn children. It has also been detected
in breast milk.
In animals exposed to acrylamide during pregnancy,
offspring had decreased body weight, decreased startle
responses, and decreased levels of some chemicals
involved in transmission of brain signals.
How can families reduce the risk of
exposure to acrylamide?
- Avoid eating a lot of carbohydrate-rich foods that are
cooked at high temperatures (e.g., french fries).
- Avoid overcooking carbohydrate-rich foods.
- Acrylamide is a component of tobacco smoke. Avoid smoking in enclosed spaces like inside the home or
car in order to limit exposure to children and other
family members.
Is there a medical test to determine
whether I’ve been exposed to acrylamide?
Acrylamide and its breakdown products can be measured
in blood and urine. These measurements may be useful in
estimating how much acrylamide has entered the body.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA has determined that the exposure to acrylamide
in drinking water at concentrations of 1.5 milligrams per
liter (1.5 mg/L) for one day or 0.3 milligrams per liter (0.3
mg/L) for 10 days is not expected to cause any adverse
effects in a child.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an exposure limit of 0.3 milligrams per
cubic meter (0.3 mg/m3) for acrylamide in workplace air
for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
Reference
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2012. Toxicological Profile for Acrylamide. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Office of Innovation and Analytics, Toxicology Section
4770 Buford Highway
Chamblee, GA 30341-3717
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: Contact CDC-INFO
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.