Problem Definition Study on the Health Effects of Diethyleneglycol Dinitrate, Triethylenegycol Dinitrate, and Trimethylolethane Trinitrate and Their Respective Combustion Products

摘要

This report is an evaluation of the available literature on the health effects and toxicity of three nitrate esters, diethyleneglycol dinitrate (DEGDN), triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN), and trimethylolethane trinitrate (TMETN) and their respective combustion products. Information on the combustion products of munitions containing these three nitrate esters was inexistent but some data was available on the products of combustion of munitions in general. Toxicologic and health effects literature dealing directly with DEGDN, TEGDN, and TMETN was very sparse and accordingly an evaluation of the toxicology of other nitrate esters used in the explosives industry is presented, along with recommendations for future medical research to develop the necessary scientific data base to recommend occupational health and environmental quality protection criteria for these compounds in their production, use, and disposal.