Sodium tungstate dihydrate (ST) is present naturally in the environment and can enter waterways through the weathering of rocks and soils. ST also is a high-production volume compound that is used in a variety of commercial applications including fire- and waterproofing fabrics, in the preparation of complex compounds (e.g., phosphotungstate and silicotungstate), as a reagent for biological products, and as a precipitant for alkaloids. Tungsten was nominated to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to evaluate its potential to cause chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity because of concern about potential human exposure via contaminated drinking water (e.g., in the form of salts like tungstate) and inadequate data to assess human health implications of elevated exposures. ST was selected for study because it is the most prevalent water-soluble form of tungsten. In these studies, Sprague Dawley (Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD) rat dams were exposed to ST in drinking water from gestation day (GD) 6 through lactation day (LD) 20. Their pups were exposed to the same exposure concentrations in drinking water from postnatal day (PND) 12 through 3 months or 2 years. Adult male and female B6C3F1/N mice were exposed to ST in drinking water for 3 months or 2 years. Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, rat and mouse peripheral blood erythrocytes, and cells from liver, kidney, and ileum; peripheral blood leukocytes from rats and mice also were assessed for DNA damage. (Abstract Abridged).
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