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Higher olefins (HO) are used primarily as intermediates in the production of other chemicals, such as polymers, fatty acids, plasticizer alcohols, surfactants, lubricants, amine oxides, and detergent alcohols. The potential toxicity of five HO (i.e., 1-Octene, Nonene, Decene, Hexadecene, and 1-Octadecene) with carbon ranging from C8 to C18 was examined in a combined repeated dose and reproduction/developmental toxicity screening study (OECD TG 422). These five HO were administered to Han Wistar rats by gavage at 0 (controls), 100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg bw/day. As a group of substances, adaptive changes in the liver (liver weight increase without pathological evidence), as well as increased kidney weight in male rats, were observed in HO with carbon numbers from C8 to C10. The overall systemic no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for all HO was determined at 1000 mg/kg bw/day. In the reproductive/developmental toxicity assessment, offspring viability, size, and weights were reduced in litters from females treated with Nonene at 1000 mg/kg bw/day. The overall no observed effects level (NOEL) for reproductive toxicity was considered to be 300 mg/kg bw/day for Nonene and 1000 mg/kg bw/day for the other four HO, respectively. These data significantly enrich the database on the toxicity of linear and branched HO, allowing comparison with similar data published on a range of linear and branched HO. Comparisons between structural class and study outcome provide further supportive data in order to validate the read-across hypothesis as part of an overall holistic testing strategy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors of this article are either employed by companies that manufacture petroleum products or consultants.

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are primarily cycloaliphatic carboxylic acids with 10 to 16 carbons. To characterize the potential of refined NAs (>70% purity) to cause reproductive and/or developmental effects, Sprague-Dawley rats (12/group) were given oral doses of 100, 300, or 900 mg/kg/d, beginning 14 days prior to mating, then an additional 14 days for males or through lactation day 3 for females (up to 53 days) in a repeated dose/reproductive toxicity test (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] 422). Potential mutagenic effects were assessed using Salmonella (OECD 471) and in in vivo micronucleus tests (OECD 474) using bone marrow taken from treated animals in the screening study described previously. Systemic effects included reduced terminal body weights, increased liver weights, and changes in a number of blood cell parameters. The overall no effect level for all target organ effects was 100 mg/kg/d. In the reproductive/developmental toxicity assessment, there were significant reductions in numbers of live born offspring in groups exposed to 300 and 900 mg/kg/d. The overall no effect level for developmental effects was 100 mg/kg/d. The data from the Salmonella and micronucleus tests provide evidence that refined NAs are not genotoxic.