In vitro toxicities of experimental jet fuel system ice-inhibiting agents

One research emphasis within the Department of Defense has been to seek the replacement of operational compounds with alternatives that pose less potential risk to human and ecological systems. Alternatives to glycol ethers, such as diethylene glycol monomethyl ether ŽM-DE., were investigated for use as jet fuel system ice-inhibiting agents ŽFSIIs.. This group of chemicals includes three derivatives of 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol ŽM-1, M-2, and M-3. and a 1,3-dioxane ŽM-27.. In addition, M-DE was evaluated as a reference compound. Our approach was to implement an in vitro test battery based on primary rat hepatocyte cultures to perform initial toxicity evaluations. Hepatocytes were exposed to experimental chemicals Ž0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM dosages. for periods up to 24 h. Samples were assayed for lactate dehydrogenase ŽLDH. release, MTT dye reduction activity, glutathione level, and rate of protein synthesis as indicators of toxicity. Of the compounds tested, M-1, especially at the 10-mM dose, appeared to be more potent than the other chemicals, as measured by these toxicity assays. M-DE, the current FSII, elicited little response in the toxicity assays. Although some variations in toxicity were observed at the 10-mM dose, the in vitro toxicities of the chemicals tested Žexcept for M-1. were not considerably greater than that of M-DE.