Baby Safety / Compounds / 2-Naphthylamine

Is 2-Naphthylamine safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of 2-Naphthylamine, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is 2-naphthylamine?

The IUPAC name is naphthalen-2-amine.

Also known as: naphthalen-2-amine, 2-Aminonaphthalene, 2-Naphthalenamine, beta-Naphthylamine.

IUPAC name
naphthalen-2-amine
CAS number
91-59-8
Molecular formula
C10H9N
Molecular weight
143.18 g/mol
SMILES
C1=CC=C2C=C(C=CC2=C1)N
PubChem CID
7057

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of 2-Naphthylamine, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of 2-Naphthylamine, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

10 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified 2-Naphthylamine. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC1987Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans)IARC Supplement 7 (1987), originally evaluated in Monograph 4 (1974). Sufficient evidence in humans (bladder cancer in dye, rubber, and gas workers) and animals. One of the earliest industrially identified human carcinogens; bladder cancer clusters in the British dyestuffs industry were documented in the 1950s. Metabolized to N-hydroxy-2-naphthylamine → reactive N-acetoxy ester forming DNA adducts in urothelium.
US EPA2000known to be carcinogenic to humansOSHA carcinogen standard (29 CFR 1910.1004); manufacturing, processing, and use banned in the US. 2-NA is also a minor component of tobacco smoke — contributing to tobacco-related bladder cancer risk. EPA has not established formal IRIS slope factor for 2-NA separately; regulated under OSHA carcinogen standards.
EPA CTX / NIOSHpotential occupational carcinogen
EPA CTX / NTP RoCKnown Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / IARCGroup 1 - Carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / CalEPAKnown human carcinogen
EPA CTX / GenetoxGenotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 23 positive / 6 negative reports)
EPA CTX / GenetoxGenotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 23 positive / 6 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-EyeEye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-EyeSkin Irritation: Category 6.3B (Category 3) (score: moderate)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter 2-naphthylamine

  • Industrial FacilitiesManufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational EnvironmentsFactories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to 2-Naphthylamine:

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain 2-naphthylamine?

2-Naphthylamine appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about 2-naphthylamine?

2-Naphthylamine has been classified by 10 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / NIOSH, EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / IARC, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See 2-Naphthylamine in the baby app

Look up products containing 2-naphthylamine, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)

  1. IARC Monographs Volume 4: 2-Naphthylamine (updated Supplement 7, 1987) (1987) — regulatory
  2. OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1004: alpha-Naphthylamine and beta-Naphthylamine (Carcinogen Standards) (1974) — regulatory
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Selected Aromatic Amines (1995) — report

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →