Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: The use of glycolic acid is present in a variety of consumer products, including medicines, cleaners, cosmetics, and paint strippers. It has recently led to concerns about toxicity from inhalation exposure. Herein, the pulmonary toxicity of glycolic acid was investigated in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted acute (~458 mg/m(3)) and sub-acute (~49.5 mg/m(3)) inhalation tests to identify the potential toxicities of glycolic acid. RESULTS: Inhalation exposure to glycolic acid in the acute and subacute inhalation tests did not cause any specific changes in clinical examinations, including body weight, organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology. The polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and inflammatory cytokines in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) increased in rats exposed to single and repeated inhalations. In the sub-acute test, the changes induced by glycolic acid were minor or returned to normal during the recovery period. CONCLUSION: The No Observed Adverse Effect Concentration (NOAEC) for the nasal and pulmonary toxicity of glycolic acid was determined to be over 50 mg/m(3) at the end of a 28-day inhalation test in male rats.