Toxicological Investigations in the Semiconductor Industry: I. Studies on the Acute Oral Toxicity of a Complex Mixture of Waste Products from the Aluminium Plasma Etching Process

Abstract

In dry etching processes—one of the sources of potential exposure to toxic wastes in the semiconductor industry—complex mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds arise from reactions between feed stock gases (BCl3/Cl2), top layers (aluminium, photoresist), and the carrier gas (N2). Two different fractions of the complex mixture—one an ethanolic solution (ES) and the other an insoluble liquid residue (LR)—were examined for acute oral toxicity in rats. Analytical data showed that the ethanol soluble fraction contained mainly inorganic compounds, whereas the residue contained various halogenated hydrocarbons. Neither death nor behavioral changes occurred after oral administration and observation up to 23 days. ES caused a lower mean arterial blood pressure in both sexes, increased P-R-intervals in male rats, and caused some mild biochemical and hematological alterations and changes in relative organ weights compared to the control groups. Exposure to LR influenced food and water intake, and caused a significant decrease in body weights, signs of polyurie, as well as changes in various relative organ weights and biochemical and hematological parameters. The blood pressure of the male animals fell and the heart rates of both sexes decreased.