Toxicity Profile for Furfural (1991)

Abstract

Furfural was irritant to the skin of rabbits and guinea-pigs and caused damage to the eyes of rabbits. The vapour has irritated the eyes, nose and upper respiratory tract of workers, and caused nasal damage in hamsters. Acute toxicity by the oral and inhalation routes, in various laboratory animal species, was moderate to high and by the dermal route in rabbits was moderate. Treatment by the oral or inhalation routes has caused effects at several sites (including the liver, lung, forestomach, kidney and central nervous system) in various laboratory animals. In well conducted oral studies, furfural gave evidence of liver carcinogenicity in rats and mice. Furfural caused chromosome abnormalities in mice treated orally and in mammalian cells in culture. It was mutagenic in mammalian cell systems, bacteria (in Ames assays and other tests) and in the fruit fly.