Acrylamide

Full Profile

General Information

Acrylamide is a colourless or white crystalline powder.^[2] Since first being synthesized in 1949, acrylamide has been used as an intermediary in the production of polyacrylamide and acrylamide copolymers.^[3] Polymerized acrylamide is not toxic, but acrylamide monomer can remain as a contaminant in the polymers.^[2] Acrylamide may also be referred to as 2-propenamide or acrylic acid amide.^[4] There are numerous other synonyms and product names; see the HSDB for more information.^[4]

Acrylamide has been classified by IARC as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans.^[5] The evaluation was based on evidence in animals, as neither of the two available studies of workers exposed to acrylamide provided sufficient data on carcinogenicity to humans.^[5] Acrylamide ingestion caused cancers at a variety of sites in rats, including the thyroid and testis region, mammary gland, thyroid, central nervous system, oral cavity, and uterus.^[5] Other studies have shown increases in lung tumours and skin cancer in mice.^[5]

Additionally, acrylamide can cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems^[5] and contact dermatitis.^[6]

Acrylamide has been ranked by CAREX Canada as a Group A (immediate high priority) for occupational settings and as a Group B (possible high priority) for environmental settings. Prioritization was based on the carcinogenicity and other toxic properties of the substance, the prevalence of exposure in Canada, and the feasibility of assessing exposure.

Regulations and Guidelines

Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL)

Canadian Jurisdictions	OEL (mg/m3)
Canada Labour Code	0.03 [i, v, sk]
BC, MB, ON, NL, PE, NB, NS	0.03 [i, v, sk]
AB, QC	0.03 [sk]
SK	0.03 [i, v, sk] 0.09 [stel]
YT, NT, NU	0.3 [sk] 0.6 [stel]
Other Jurisdiction	OEL (mg/m3)
ACGIH 2010 TLV	0.03 [i, v, sk]

Canadian Environmental Guidelines

Jurisdiction	Limit	Year
Cosmetic Hotlist	Not permitted	2011[10]

Canadian Agencies/Organizations

Agency	Designation/Position	Year
Health Canada	DSL – high priority substance with the greatest potential for exposure	2006[11]
Challenge to Industry	Batch 5 (as 2-propenamide)	2008[13]

Main Uses

Acrylamide is used primarily to produce polymers (polyacrylamides), which have many industrial uses. For example, grout, used in the mining industry and for sewer line sealing and manhole sealing;^[14] and flocculants, used in water treatment, crude oil processing, pulp and paper processing, soil conditioning/stabilization, mineral processing, and concrete processing.^[6,14]

Smaller quantities are used in laboratories for electrophoresis gels, in permanent-press fabrics, adhesive manufacturing and food processing^[6,14]

Canadian Production and Trade

Between 1 million and 10 million kilograms of acrylamide were imported into Canada in 2006. Between 100 and 1000 kilograms were manufactured in Canada.^[19]

In 1998, three Canadian companies were producing a total of 7,000 tonnes of polyacrylamides.^[16] Available data indicates that imports from US producers supply much of the Canadian market for polyacrylamides.^[16]

None of 'acrylamide,' '2-propenamide,' or 'polyacrylamide' were included as search terms in the TradeMap database for Canada between 2001 and 2011.^[17]

Occupational Exposures

Inhalation and dermal are the most important routes of occupational exposure.^[2] The main occupations exposed include pulp and paper manufacturing, construction, foundering, oil drilling, textile and cosmetics manufacturing, food processing, plastics manufacturing, mining, and agricultural industries.^[4] People working in labs where polyacrylamide gels are prepared may also be exposed.^[5]

Workers are exposed to highest concentrations during the handling of acrylamide monomer. Occupations which require handling are acrylamide manufacturers, flocculator production workers, and workers involved in grouting operations.^[6]

Some European occupational exposure measurements (including dermal measurements) and task-related information are available in a risk assessment from the EU.^[14]

Environmental Exposures

The main sources of environmental exposure are food and cigarette smoke. People may also be exposed at lower levels via drinking water and residual acrylamide in consumer products.^[3]

Acrylamide is not expected to remain in the air if released industrially; it will likely partition to water and soil.^[18]

Acrylamide in food was first discovered in a study by the Swedish National Food Administration in 2002. Since then, the US Food and Drug Administration has tested many commercially available foods and maintains a database of the levels found in food.^[23] Acrylamide is formed in many types of foods during cooking, especially carbohydrate-rich foods.^[18] Potato chips and French fries often contain the highest levels of acrylamide.^[23] Health Canada and Canadian food companies are investigating ways to decrease the level of acrylamide in food,^[18] and Health Canada will continue to review studies to update new findings on acrylamide and cancer.^[20]

Cigarette smoke also contains acrylamide, creating a source of exposure to smokers as well as those exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke.^[21]

As of 2001, polyacrylamides were used in about 100 cosmetic formulations (at concentrations of up to 2.8%). Acrylamide monomer can remain as a contaminant in polyacrylamide (concentrations from < 0.01% to 0.1%).^[22]

Searches of environmental and consumer product databases yielded the following results on current potential for exposure to acrylamide in Canada:

NPRI and US Household Products Database

NPRI 2009[24]
Search term: 'acrylamide'
Category	Quantity	Industry
Released into Environment	0.004 t	Adhesives, soap and cleaners, and other (4 companies)
Disposed of	0.022 t
Sent to off-site recycling	None

US Household Products 2010
Search Term	Quantity	Product Type
'acrylamide'	None	N/A
'polyacrylamide'	34	Cosmetic creams, soaps and hair conditioners, glues

t = tonne

Sources

1. Acrylamide image, Wikimedia Commons Photo
2. NTP 12th report on carcinogens for acrylamide (PDF)
3. National Cancer Institute Factsheet: Acrylamide in Food and Cancer Risk (2008)
4. Hazardous Substances Database entry for Acrylamide (Search term: 'acrylamide')
5. IARC monograph summary, Volume 60, 1994 (PDF)
6. IPCS: International Programme on Chemical Safety; Chemical Safety Information from Intergovernmental Organizations: Acrylamide
7. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water (2010)
8. Exposure Guidelines for Residential Indoor Air Quality (1987) (PDF)
9. Health Canada (2006) Food Additives Permitted for Use in Canada
10. Health Canada (2010) Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
11. Health Canada's Prioritization of the DSL
12. CEPA List of Toxic Substances
13. List of all Challenge Substances, Government of Canada Chemicals Management Plan (2008)
14. EU Risk Assessment (2002): Acrylamide (PDF)
15. Government of Canada: Substance profile for the Challenge: 2-Propenamide (Acrylamide) (2008) (PDF)
16. CPI Product Profiles, Camford Information Services: Polyacrylamides (1998)
17. TradeMap (Free subscription required)
18. Food & Consumer Products of Canada
19. Environment Canada (2009) Proposed Risk Management Approach for 2-Propenamide (Acrylamide)
20. Health Canada Food and Nutrition: Acrylamide (2008)
21. Smith CJ; Perfetti TA; Rumple MA; et al. (2000) "IARC group 2A Carcinogens" reported in cigarette mainstream smoke. Food Chem Toxicol 38(4):371–83
22. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel (2005): 'Amended final report on the safety assessment of polyacrylamide and acrylamide residues in cosmetics.' Int. J Tox.; 24(Suppl 2): 21–50
23. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2002) Survey Data on Acrylamide in Food: Individual Food Products
24. The National Pollutant Release Inventory
25. Household Products Database (US)

Other Resources

1. Becalski, A., et al. 'Acrylamide in foods: Occurrence, sources, and modeling.' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2003:51(3); 802-808
2. Consumer Factsheet on Acrylamide in groundwater and drinking water (US EPA) (2006)
3. US EPA draft toxicological review for acrylamide (2007)
Published March 2012