Tobacco Products Liability Project
Significance of Report of Carcinogenic Activity of Dimethyl Terephthalate
Abstract
Reports on the significance of a paper in Chemical Regulation Reporter that carcinogenic activity of dimethyl terphthalate. Notes that Philip Morris Inc. published an article in 1963 indicating that there was terphthalic acid in cigarette smoke, but that this is the only known report as such.
Fields
- Type
- Inter-Office Memorandum
- Copied
- A.R.
- Named Organization
- National Cancer Institute NCIDivision of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Institute located in Rockville, MD
- Philip Morris & Co. Ltd. (Cigarette manufacturer, incorporated in U.S. in 1902)Philip Morris & Co. Ltd.., was incorporated in New York in April of 1902; half the shares were held by the parent company in London, and the balance by its U.S. distributor and his American associate. Its overall sales in 1903, its first full year of U.S. operation, were a modest seven million cigarettes. Among the brand offered, besides Philip Morris, were Blues, Cambridge, Derby, and a ladies favorite name for the London street where the home companies factory was located - Marlborough.
- Author (Organization)
- *R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Cigarette manufacturer (Camel, Winston, Doral brands))Cigarette manufacturer (Camel, Winston, Doral brands)
- Author
- Nystrom, Charles W. (RJR Biochemist, Microbiology Section Head '76)Biochemist employed by RJR in 1954, Head of the Microbiology Section of the Analytical Research Division in 1976. He was F. Colby's assistant and worked with additives in 1983.
- Date Loaded
- 23 Aug 2004
- Recipient
- Colby, Frank Gerhardt, Ph.D. (RJR R&D Research Director)R.J. Reynolds scientist. He was employed by RJR as head of then-to-be-founded Scientific Library and Information Division in 1951, Manager of Scientific Information Division 1965-1979, Associate Director of Scientific Information in 1980, and employed by Jacob Medinger & Finnegan as Chief Scientist in 1983.
Document Images
"~'.: ! ~ject:
To:
Significance of Report of Carcinogenic Activity
of Dimethyl Terephthalate.
Inter-office Memorandu .-.-t
...,~'!
Date: January 30, 1979
From: Charles W. Nystrom,..~
Dr. Frank G. Colby
In the Chemica~ Regulation Reporter 2 (38) 1639-40 (Dec. 22, 1978)
a draft sun~ary of one of 19 bioassay reports from the National Cancer
Institute reported that dimethyl terephthalate, an intermediate in the
synthesis of polyesters, was carcinogenic in male B63FI mice but not for
female mice of this strain, or for either male or female F344 mice. In
the male B63Fl mice a combination of alveolar/bronchiolar adenomas or
carcinomas were induced by administration of the test chemical in feed.
This is another example of a chemical capable of inducing cancer
in the lung presumably by a route of administration other than inhalation.
I have not obtained information on the possible industrial exposure from
dimethyl terephthalate.
The only known report of terephthalicacid in cigarette smoke is in
a report from Philip Morris Inc. on Chemical Constituents in Tobacco and
Smoke, published in 1963(?). This report indicates that the terephthalic
acid was identified only by comparative RF values. Based on the fact
that terephthalic acid has not been reported in our laboratory, it seems
highly likely ~hat terephthalic acid is not a constituentof cigarette
smoke.
CWN: 1 es
cc: A.R.
RJRI FORM 2422-Rev. 7170
