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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Hexachloroethane 

CAS#: 67-72-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for 

Hexachloroethane. It is one in a series of Public 

Health Statements about hazardous substances and 

their health effects. A shorter version, the 

ToxFAQsTM is also available. This information is 

important because this substance may harm you. 

The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance 

depend on the dose, the duration, how you are 

exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether 

other chemicals are present. For more information, 

call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-

8737. 

This statement was prepared to give you 

information about hexachloroethane and to 

emphasize the human health effects that may result 

from exposure to it. The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) has identified 1,416 hazardous waste 

sites as the most serious in the nation. These sites 

make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are 

the sites targeted for long-term federal clean-up 

activities. Hexachloroethane has been found in at 

least 45 of the sites on the NPL. However, the 

number of NPL sites evaluated for 

hexachloroethane is not known. As EPA evaluates 

more sites, the number of sites at which 

hexachloroethane is found may increase. This 

information is important because exposure to 

hexachloroethane may cause harmful health effects 

and because these sites are potential or actual 

sources of human exposure to hexachloroethane. 

When a substance is released from a large area, 

such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such 

as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This 

release does not always lead to exposure. You can 

be exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing it or by 

touching it. 

If you are exposed to a substance such as 

hexachloroethane, many factors will determine 

whether harmful health effects will occur and what 

the type and severity of those health effects will be. 

These factors include the dose (how much), the 

duration (how long), the route or pathway by which 

you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin 

contact), the other chemicals to which you are 

exposed, and your individual characteristics such as 

age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, 

and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS HEXACHLOROETHANE? 

Hexachloroethane is a colorless solid that gradually 

evaporates when it is exposed to air. This 

compound is also called perchloroethane, carbon 

hexachloride, and HCE. It is sold under the trade 

names Avlothane, Distokal, Distopan, and Distopin. 

In the United States, about half of the 

hexachloroethane is used by the military for smokeproducing devices. It is also sold as degassing 

pellets that are used to remove the air bubbles in 

melted aluminum. Hexachloroethane may be 

present as an ingredient in some fungicides, 

insecticides, lubricants, plastics, and cellulose. At 

one time, hexachloroethane was prescribed for 

deworming animals. 

Hexachloroethane does not occur naturally in the 

environment. It is made by adding chlorine to 

tetrachloroethylene. Hexachloroethane is no longer 

made in the United States, but it is formed as a byproduct in the production of some chemicals. For 

example, it is a by-product in the high temperature 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Hexachloroethane 

CAS#: 67-72-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

synthesis of tetrachloroethylene from carbon 

tetrachloride. Some hexachloroethane can be 

formed by incinerators when materials containing 

chlorinated hydrocarbons are burned. 

Hexachloroethane itself does not easily catch fire. 

Some hexachloroethane can also be formed when 

chlorine reacts with carbon compounds in drinking 

water. 

Hexachloroethane vapors smell like camphor. You 

can begin to smell hexachloroethane in air when 

there are 150 parts present in a billion parts of air 

(ppb). You can smell it in water at 10 ppb. Neither a 

description of the taste nor the amount of 

hexachloroethane that gives a taste to water were 

found. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO 

HEXACHLOROETHANE WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Hexachloroethane is released to the air during 

military operations and training exercises when 

smoke-producing devices containing it are used. In 

a smoke pot or grenade, most of it is used up by the 

smoke-producing reaction. Only small amounts (5% 

or less) remain after the smoke has formed. 

However, these small amounts can collect in the 

atmosphere and in the soil. At one military training 

site, about 14,700 pounds of hexachloroethane were 

released to the air over a 2-year period. 

Hexachloroethane also enters the environment as 

part of the waste from companies that make or use 

it. Vapors can be released to the air during 

production, use, or transport. Solid wastes 

containing it are buried in landfills or burned. In 

landfills, it can dissolve in underground water 

because it does not bind strongly to soil. Once 

dissolved, it can reach rivers, lakes, streams, or well 

water. 

Hexachloroethane in the air does not break down to 

other compounds. It gradually escapes into the 

upper atmosphere. Some hexachloroethane that is in 

lakes or streams and surface soils will evaporate 

into the air. Some will be broken down by 

microscopic organisms. Microbes can break down 

hexachloroethane more easily without oxygen than 

with oxygen. That is why hexachloroethane will 

break down more quickly when it is buried in the 

soil or trapped in underground water than when it is 

near the surface. In one study, it took only 4 days 

for 99% of the hexachloroethane in soil to break 

down when oxygen was not present. It took 4 weeks 

when oxygen was present. 

Hexachloroethane does not appear to collect in 

plants or animals used for food. It has a slight 

tendency to build up in fish, but the fish break it 

down quickly, so the amount found in fish from 

polluted waters is very low. Rainbow trout from 

Lake Ontario had only 0.03 parts hexachloroethane 

per trillion (ppt) parts of fish. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

HEXACHLOROETHANE? 

You can be exposed to hexachloroethane from the 

air. Background levels in air range from 5 to 7 ppt. 

Larger amounts may be found near military 

installations where smoke pots and grenades that 

contain hexachloroethane are used during training. 

When a smoke pot or grenade is used, the heat will 

cause other chemicals to be formed, including 

tetrachloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, phosgene, 

and hexachlorobenzene. These chemicals can also 

be toxic. Higher than average amounts can occur 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Hexachloroethane 

CAS#: 67-72-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

near aluminum smelters that use hexachloroethane 

as a degassing agent. Incinerators that burn 

industrial wastes containing chlorine can release 

hexachloroethane to the air. 

If you live near a hazardous waste site, you might 

be exposed to hexachloroethane by breathing or by 

drinking contaminated water. Private wells within 

one mile of a hazardous waste site contained 4.6 

ppb hexachloroethane. Children who play in soil 

near a waste site that contains hexachloroethane 

could be exposed if they put soil or soiled fingers 

into their mouths. 

You are not likely to be exposed to 

hexachloroethane from your food. However, you 

might be exposed if you use insecticides, 

fungicides, or plastics that contain this chemical. 

You may also be exposed to small amounts of this 

chemical from your drinking water if chlorine is 

used to kill germs. Hexachloroethane has 

occasionally been reported in drinking water at 

concentrations of 0.03–4.3 ppb in some locations in 

the United States. 

If you work in an industry that uses 

hexachloroethane, such as aluminum smelting, or a 

chemical plant, you could be exposed by breathing 

it or touching it. About 8,500 people in the United 

States are exposed to hexachloroethane at work. 

People who work with smoke-producing devices 

that contain hexachloroethane are exposed to it in 

the smoke. They can contact it through smoke 

particles on plants and in the soil. 

1.4 HOW CAN HEXACHLOROETHANE 

ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

Hexachloroethane can enter your body through your 

lungs if you breathe its vapors. Of the amount that 

enters your lungs, only a small fraction of the 

hexachloroethane will enter your bloodstream and 

ultimately your body tissues. It can enter your body 

if you eat or drink something contaminated with it. 

Based on studies in animals, about half of the 

hexachloroethane you eat will get into your 

bloodstream. Very little will enter your body if you 

get it on your skin. 

The hexachloroethane that enters your bloodstream 

will go to your liver where it is turned into other 

compounds. Some of these compounds are harmful 

and will affect your health in almost the same way 

hexachloroethane does. If you are exposed to 

carbon tetrachloride, your liver can make 

hexachloroethane from it. 

When hexachloroethane gets into your body, some 

is temporarily stored in your body fat. Most of it 

leaves your body in 1 or 2 days in the air you 

breathe out, in your urine, and in your feces. 

1.5 HOW CAN HEXACHLOROETHANE 

AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

Mild skin irritation has been reported by workers at 

a munitions factory who were exposed to low levels 

of hexachloroethane. The workers were wearing 

protective clothing that greatly reduced exposure. 

No other information is available concerning health 

effects in people exposed to hexachloroethane. 

However, results of animal studies can be used to 

show how it can affect your health. Based on the 

animal data, hexachloroethane in the air can irritate 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Hexachloroethane 

CAS#: 67-72-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

your nose and lungs and cause some buildup of 

mucus in your nose, much like an allergy. It can 

also irritate your eyes and make them tear. 

If you are in an area that has a lot of 

hexachloroethane vapor, your facial muscles may 

twitch or you may have difficulty moving. These 

effects have been observed in animals during 

exposure at levels far greater than those found in 

industrial use of hexachloroethane or those which 

would be expected in areas near a hazardous waste 

site. 

Hexachloroethane is not a highly toxic substance. If 

you are exposed to a large amount for a long time, 

some of your liver cells could be destroyed and fat 

could build up in your liver. There is also a slight 

chance that your kidneys could be damaged. 

No results from animal studies suggest that 

hexachloroethane would make it hard for you to 

become pregnant or that it would hurt your baby 

while you are pregnant. However, animal studies 

that have looked at the effects of hexachloroethane 

during pregnancy are limited. 

Liver tumors developed in mice that were orally 

exposed to hexachloroethane for their whole 

lifetime. Tumors of this kind are common in mice. 

Hexachloroethane will not necessarily have the 

same effect on people. Male rats that were exposed 

to hexachloroethane for their lifetime developed 

kidney tumors. This type of tumor is not found in 

people, so it is unlikely that exposure to 

hexachloroethane would cause you to develop 

cancer of the kidney. The Department of Health and 

Human Services has determined that 

hexachloroethane may reasonably be anticipated to 

be a carcinogen (can cause cancer). The 

International Agency for Research on Cancer 

(IARC) has determined that hexachloroethane is not 

classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in people. EPA 

has determined that hexachloroethane is a possible 

human carcinogen. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO HEXACHLOROETHANE? 

Samples of your blood, urine, or feces can be tested 

to see if you were exposed to hexachloroethane. 

The tests are not routinely available at most doctors' 

offices, but your doctor can collect blood, urine, or 

fecal samples and send them to a special laboratory 

for testing. These tests are useful only if you were 

exposed 24–48 hours before you saw the doctor. 

Your body changes hexachloroethane into the same 

compounds that it makes from other chemicals like 

tetrachloroethylene or pentachloroethane. Your 

body can also make hexachloroethane from carbon 

tetrachloride. Therefore, if a laboratory finds 

hexachloroethane in your body blood or excretions, 

your doctor will ask you if you were exposed to 

carbon tetrachloride. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government is concerned about the 

amount of hexachloroethane that you are exposed to 

in the environment. The government has established 

standards and guidelines to prevent you from being 

overexposed. The Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) has set a limit of 1 part per 

million (ppm) for the hexachloroethane in 

workplace air over an 8-hour workday. The 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Hexachloroethane 

CAS#: 67-72-1 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

Health (NIOSH) considers hexachloroethane as a 

potential occupational carcinogen (can cause 

cancer) and recommends 1 ppm in air as a tolerance 

value. 

The EPA recommends that children not drink water 

with more than 5 ppm hexachloroethane for more 

than 10 days or more than 100 ppb for any longer 

than 7 years. Adults should not drink water with 

more than 450 ppb any longer than 7 years. EPA 

suggests that water consumed over a lifetime 

contain no more than 1 ppb hexachloroethane. 

Industrial releases of more than 100 pounds of 

hexachloroethane into the environment must be 

reported to EPA. 

1.8 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, 

please contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 1997. Toxicological profile for 

hexachloroethane. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov