Trans-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336mzz-E) (2018).

Trans-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-133mzz-E) is an odorless gas that finds uses as a foam transfer agent, heat transfer fluid, and specialty gas. The acute 4-h LC50 (in rats) for HFO-133mzz-E is > 17,000 ppm; it was not an eye or dermal irritant in 3- and 13-week repeated-dose inhalation studies in rats at concentrations up to 1.5% (15,000 ppm). HFO-133mzz-E was not a cardiac sensitizer at 70,000 ppm in a standard epinephrine challenge study in Beagle dogs. In a 3-week, repeated-dose (non-GLP) inhalation range-finding study in male and female rats, HFO-133mzz-E concentrations of 7500 and 15,000 ppm were determined to be well-tolerated. In the follow-up, GLP-compliant, 28-day repeated-dose inhalation study (as per OECD 412), male and female rats were exposed to 0, 1000, 10,000, or 15,000/20,000 ppm (20,000 ppm concentration was decreased to 15,000 ppm after week 1 because of deaths and body weight loss). The study no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was established at 10,000 ppm based on reduced body weight gain and mortality observed at 15,000 ppm. In a 90-day GLP-compliant repeated-dose study (as per OECD 413), male and female rats were exposed to 0, 1000, 5000, 7500, or 15,000 ppm HFO-133mzz-E. Three male rats exposed to 15,000 ppm HFO-133mzz-E died during exposure; clinical signs such as restlessness, blepharospasm, and myoclonic jerks were also observed, during the first month of the study, at 15,000 ppm. There were no significant gross or histopathological organ/tissue lesions attributable to HFO-133mzz-E exposure. The study NOAEL was established at 7500 ppm. In a GLP prenatal developmental study (OECD 414), groups of time-mated nulliparous female rats were exposed via inhalation to 0, 1000, 5000, 7500, or 15,000 ppm HFO-1336mzz-E beginning on gestation day (GD) 6 up to and including GD 19. Under the conditions of this study, the NOAEL for maternal and fetal effects was established at 7500 ppm. HFO-1336mzz-E was not genotoxic in either in vitro or in vivo assays. Based on the results of the 90-day inhalation study, 7500 ppm was determined to be the NOAEL and was selected as the point of departure for the derivation of the 8-h time-weighted average (TWA), health-based workplace environmental exposure level (WEEL) value. This subchronic inhalation NOAEL was adjusted to account for duration of exposure, interindividual variability, and intraindividual variability. The resulting 8-h TWA WEEL value of 400 ppm is fully expected to provide a significant margin of safety against the production of any potential adverse health effects in workers following long-term inhalation exposure to HFO-1336mzz-E.