Evaluation of the reproductive toxicology of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in male and female rats.

The toxicity of chlorinated organic compounds which may be generated as a by-product of drinking water chlorination has been an issue of increasing concern. Relatively few data are available concerning their reproductive toxicity. The present study was designed to evaluate the reproductive effects of one of these compounds, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), in male and female rats. Adult males were treated with either 0, 100, 500, or 1000 mg/kg of TCP (po) for 10 weeks, at which time semen evaluations were conducted on ejaculates recovered from the genital tract of receptive females. Fertility was assessed in the 0- and 1000-mg/kg groups. Females were treated with identical doses for 2 weeks prior to pregnancy then throughout gestation. Dams were allowed to litter and pup development was monitored until Day 42 postpartum. TCP had no effect on any sperm parameter or male fertility. Treatment of females with 1000 mg/kg of TCP produced gross maternal toxicity as reflected in increased lethality and decreased weight gains in the dams. However, no treatment-related differences were seen in litter sizes or pup survival. Male and female birth weights were significantly depressed in the 500- and 1000-mg/kg groups; these differences disappeared by Day 4 postpartum, suggesting that they were a reflection of maternal toxicity. To this extent, the reproductive processes of male and female rats do not appear to be a primary target for the effects of TCP.