15th Report on Carcinogens Released with the Addition of 8 New Substances
On December 21, 2021, the long-awaited 15th Report on Carcinogens was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its release, which comes five years after its predecessor, includes the addition of eight new carcinogenic substances. In this blog post, we take a look at this industry-standard report and review its newest additions.
Report on Carcinogens
The Report on Carcinogens is a congressionally required document listing substances that are known or expected to cause cancer in humans. Not limited to chemical substances, the Report also includes relevant biological and physical agents, mixtures, and exposure circumstances.
Section 301(b)(4) of the Public Health Service Act, 42 USC 241(b)(4) (amended) notes that the following elements are necessary in the Report on Carcinogens:
- A list of substances reasonably anticipated or known to be human carcinogens (and ones to which a large number of U.S. residents are exposed)
- Information on the nature of exposure to carcinogenic substances and the number of individuals estimated to be exposed to them
- A statement identifying:
- substances for which no effluent, ambient, or exposure standard has been federally established
- the extent to which public health risk decreases result for each effluent, ambient, or exposure standard that has been federally established
- A description of
- requests received to conduct research and testing on substances’ carcinogenicity
- how relevant responsible parties responded to each request.
Preparation of the Report on Carcinogens involves a multistep process, including:
- Nomination and selection of candidate substances for evaluation
- Preparation of draft Report on Carcinogens monographs
- Peer review, revision, and finalization of draft Report on Carcinogens monographs
- Review and approval by Secretary of Health and Human Services, followed by release of the Report on Carcinogens
The Report is a cumulative document, meaning that each edition typically contains the substances from the previous edition plus newly added ones. With the addition of the eight new substances, it brings the total number in the 15th edition to 256.
8 Additional Substances
| Substance Name | Substance Type | Carcinogen Status |
|---|---|---|
| Antimony trioxide | Flame retardant | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Bromochloroacetic acid (BCA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Chlorodibromoacetic acid (CDBA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Dibromoacetic acid (DBA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| Tribromoacetic acid (TBA) | Water disinfection byproduct (haloacetic acid) | Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen |
| H. pylori (chronic infection) | Bacterium | Known to be a human carcinogen |
Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Cancer prevention efforts rely on the effective identification of carcinogenic substances. Because of this, the availability and updating of the Report on Carcinogens is a fundamental component of these efforts.
To learn more about the Report, and to access detailed information on the substances contained within it, contact ToxPlanet and register for a Free Trial.
