Risk Evaluation for Carbon Tetrachloride

EPA evaluated carbon tetrachloride under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and completed the final risk evaluation in November 2020. The next step in the process required by TSCA is addressing these risks. EPA will now begin the process of developing ways to address the unreasonable risks identified and has one year to propose and take public comments on any risk management actions.

Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA. 

Learn about risk management for carbon tetrachloride.

On this page:

• Background on carbon tetrachloride
• Uses of carbon tetrachloride
• Risk Evaluation of carbon tetrachloride under Amended TSCA

Background on Carbon Tetrachloride

Carbon tetrachloride is a solvent. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) cycle for carbon tetrachloride indicates the yearly reported production volume fluctuates around 117 to 143 million lbs/year (manufacture and import).

Uses of Carbon Tetrachloride

Carbon tetrachloride is used in commercial settings as a raw material for producing other chemicals like refrigerants, chlorinated compounds, and agricultural products in accordance with the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol. Carbon tetrachloride is not currently used as a direct reactant or additive in the formulation of consumer products.

Risk Evaluation of Carbon Tetrachloride under Amended TSCA

EPA completed the final risk evaluation for carbon tetrachloride in November 2020. The final risk evaluation shows that there are unreasonable risks to workers and occupational non-users for 13 conditions of use. EPA found no unreasonable risks to the environment.

• Read the final risk evaluation for carbon tetrachloride.

In June 2019, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for carbon tetrachloride for public comment and peer review. 

• Read the draft risk evaluation for carbon tetrachloride.
• Learn more about the peer review for carbon tetrachloride.

In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for carbon tetrachloride which included the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expected to consider in its risk evaluation. In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for carbon tetrachloride which refined the scope of the risk evaluation by clarifying the chemical conditions of use that EPA expected to evaluate and describing how EPA expected to conduct the evaluation.

• Read the problem formulation for carbon tetrachloride.
• Read the scope document and supplemental files for carbon tetrachloride.

After releasing the scope documents for each of the first 10 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA, the dockets for each of these first 10 chemicals were open for public comments. Read EPA’s Responses to Public Comments Received on the Scope Documents for the First Ten Chemicals for Risk Evaluation under TSCA. This document addresses cross-cutting public comments received in response to the scope document.