Risk Evaluation for 1,1-Dichloroethane

In July 2024, EPA released the draft risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 1,1-dichloroethane for public comment and peer review. EPA designated 1,1-dichloroethane as a high priority chemical in December 2019.

Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.

On this page:

Risk Evaluation Findings
Background on 1,1-Dichloroethane
Uses of 1,1-Dichloroethane
Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment
Draft Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

Risk Evaluation Findings

EPA’s draft risk evaluation preliminarily shows unreasonable risk to human health because exposure to 1,1-dichloroethane may increase the risk of kidney and other cancers, as well as harmful non-cancer renal, nasal, immune system, and reproductive effects to workers. EPA preliminarily found no unreasonable risk to the general population from breathing air where 1,1-dichloroethane was released from facilities or ingesting drinking water or surface water or soil from 1,1-dichloroethane disposed to land (i.e., direct disposal to landfills or land applied biosolids from public wastewater treatment works treating 1,1-dichloroethane-containing wastewater). EPA also found no unreasonable risks to potentially exposed and susceptible subpopulations, which includes infants exposed to drinking water during formula bottle feeding, subsistence and tribal fishers, pregnant women and people of reproductive age, and individuals with compromised immune systems or neurological disorders. EPA did not assess consumer or bystander exposures because there are no commercial or consumer products or articles that contain 1,1-dichlorethane.

EPA’s draft risk evaluation preliminarily shows that chronic exposure to 1,1-dichloroethane contributes to the unreasonable risk to aquatic species, including invertebrates and algae, from the manufacturing, processing, and disposal of 1,1-dichloroethane. EPA preliminarily determined that there is no unreasonable risk of injury to aquatic and terrestrial species from acute exposures to 1,1-dichloroethane.

Background on 1,1-Dichloroethane

1,1-dichloroethane (CASRN 75-34-3) is a colorless, oily liquid with a chloroform- or ether-like odor. The primary use of 1,1-dichloroethane is in organic chemical manufacturing. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) for 1,1-dichloroethane indicates the reported production volume is between 100 million to one billion lbs/year.

Uses of 1,1-Dichloroethane

In the final scope, EPA identified conditions of use associated with the manufacturing; processing; distribution in commerce; commercial use; and disposal of 1,1-dichloroethane, for example:

In organic chemical and other chemical product and preparation manufacturing; and
As a laboratory chemical.

The above listed conditions of use are ways that a person or the environment could be potentially exposed to this chemical. However, when conducting a TSCA risk evaluation, EPA also considers the hazards (i.e., health effects or environmental impacts) that could occur from coming in contact with a chemical.

Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment

In July 2024, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for 1,1-dichloroethane for public comment and peer review. EPA will accept public comments on the draft risk evaluation for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0114 at www.regulations.gov.

EPA will hold a virtual public meeting of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) to discuss the draft risk evaluation on September 17-20, 2024. EPA will also hold a virtual preparatory public meeting on August 27, 2024, for the SACC and the public to consider and ask questions regarding the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions. View the SACC website for more information on these meetings.

In August 2020, EPA published a final scope document outlining the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the agency expects to consider in its risk evaluation. The agency released the draft scope in April 2020 and took public comments on the draft document.

As EPA continues to move through the risk evaluation process there will be additional opportunities for public comment, including a public comment period on the draft risk evaluation. In addition to public comment periods, EPA will continue to engage with stakeholders as it refines the risk evaluation and stakeholders should reach out to EPA via the staff contact to engage with the agency.