EPA Releases Draft TSCA Risk Evaluation for 1,2-Dichloroethane for Public Comment

Released Nov. 14, 2025

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane (also known as ethylene dichloride) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA preliminarily determined that 1,2-dichloroethane presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health and the environment driven by certain conditions of use (COUs). 

1,2-Dichloroethane Draft Risk Evaluation 

EPA is preliminarily determining that 1,2-dichloroethane presents unreasonable risk of injury to human health driven by inhalation and dermal risks to workers and inhalation risks to occupational non-users (ONUs) from 15 COUs. EPA is also preliminarily determining that 1,2-dichloroethane presents an unreasonable risk to the environment driven by chronic exposure to aquatic invertebrates via surface water and sediment exposures from two COUs. The agency did not preliminarily identify a risk of injury to human health or the environment from five other COUs evaluated for 1,2-dichloroethane. For COUs with unreasonable risk to workers, these preliminary risk determinations do not reflect the use of personal protective equipment (PPE); however, as the draft risk evaluation shows, the use of PPE may reduce exposures to and mitigate risk from 1,2-dichloroethane. 

EPA is preliminarily determining that 1,2-dichloroethane exposure to consumers or the general population, associated with any COU, does not significantly contribute to unreasonable risk of injury to human health.   

Read the draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane. 

Next Steps 

Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, the agency will accept public comments on the draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0427 on regulations.gov for 60 days.

EPA’s Science Advisory Council on Chemicals (SACC) reviewed the draft human health hazard assessment for 1,2-dichloroethane during the September 2024 SACC meeting. The draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane released today reflects both SACC and public comments on the draft human health hazard assessment for 1,2-dichloroethane. Additionally, the methodologies used in the development of the 1,2-dichloroethane draft risk evaluation have been previously peer reviewed by the SACC. Therefore, EPA is not soliciting additional external peer review of the draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane. 

After the agency has considered public comments, EPA will issue a final risk evaluation that includes its determination as to whether 1,2-dichloroethane represents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment.