Reproductive and developmental effects and physical and chemical properties of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) in the rat

Abstract

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is an explosive chemical that has been detected in environmental media. Although previous toxicology studies have shown PETN to be relatively benign, a lack of available information concerning developmental and reproductive effects from oral PETN exposure was needed. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to oral daily adjusted volumetric doses of 0, 100, 500, or 1,000 mg PETN/kg body mass in a corn oil vehicle for up to 56 days. Mating, duration of gestation, body weight, feed consumption, overall condition of adults, and the number, sex, and condition of pups were recorded. Histological examinations were also performed on the ovaries, testes, and epididymides of animals from the control and the highest dose groups. Other environmental criteria, water solubility, octanol/water partition coefficient, and biodegradation rates of neat PETN were also determined. Only body weights and feed consumption were affected by treatment; however, these differences may be attributed more to volumetric adjustments of vehicle in the control and high-dose groups than to PETN toxicity. No adverse effects on development or reproduction from PETN exposure were observed. Water solubility, octanol water partition coefficient, and water suspension and biodegradation rates suggest PETN is unlikely to transport or bioaccumulate in the environment to any appreciable extent. Additionally, biotic processes are most likely faster in breaking down PETN than the abiotic processes involved in dissolving PETN in water.