Toxicity Profile for Furfuryl alcohol (1989)

Abstract

Furfuryl alcohol has caused skin irritation in guinea-pigs and eye irritation in various species of laboratory animals. It has shown evidence of being a weak skin sensitizer in guinea-pigs. The alcohol was of moderate to high acute oral and inhalation toxicity in various species but of moderate to low acute dermal toxicity in rabbits. Respiratory difficulties, lung tissue changes and central nervous system effects were seen in several of the studies involving exposure by these routes. Repeated oral administration caused liver, kidney, thymus and spleen lesions in rats and mice. Signs of neurotoxicity were observed following repeated inhalation exposures in rats. There was evidence of chromosome damage in hamster cells in culture but not in human cells. No mutagenicity was seen in Ames bacterial tests or in the fruit fly.