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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 4,4'- METHYLENEBIS (2-CHLOROANILINE) 

CAS#: 101-14-4 

Division of Toxicology May 1994 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for 4,4'-

Methylenebis (2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA). 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 4,4'- methylenebis(2­

chloroaniline) (MBOCA) and to emphasize the 

human health effects that may result from exposure 

to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

has identified 1,350 hazardous waste sites as the 

most serious in the nation. These sites comprise the 

"National Priorities List" (NPL): Those sites which 

are targeted for long-term federal cleanup activities. 

MBOCA has been found in at least 4 of the sites on 

the NPL. As EPA evaluates more sites, the number 

of sites at which MBOCA is found may increase. 

This information is important because exposure to 

MBOCA may cause harmful health effects and 

because these sites are potential or actual sources of 

human exposure to MBOCA. 

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 the 

substance or by skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to a substance such as MBOCA, 

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, gender, 

nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, and state of 

health. 

1.1 WHAT IS MBOCA? 

MBOCA is a synthetic chemical used in industry 

primarily to produce castable polyurethane parts. It 

also has a coating application when used in 

chemical reactions to "set" glues, plastics, and 

adhesives. Since plastics have many uses, MBOCA 

is used very frequently. Other names for MBOCA 

include 4,4'-methylenebis(2- chloroaniline), bis 

amine, DACPM, MCA, methylene bis ortho 

chloroaniline, and MOCA. The name MBOCA 

comes from methylene bis ortho chloro aniline. 

Pure MBOCA is a colorless solid, but MBOCA is 

usually made and used as yellow, tan, or brown 

pellets. If MBOCA is heated above 205°C it may 

decompose by itself. MBOCA has no odor or taste. 

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 

 4,4'- METHYLENEBIS (2-CHLOROANILINE) 

CAS#: 101-14-4 

Division of Toxicology May 1994 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO MBOCA WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

MBOCA may enter the environment through 

disposal of solid waste from manufacturing plants 

that use MBOCA in castable polyurethane 

processing. MBOCA is not likely to evaporate from 

the soil or water into the air. However, it may enter 

the air as dust when it is used at production plants, 

or it may enter surface waters from the waste 

streams of these plants. Some of the MBOCA may 

be broken down by sunlight or by tiny organisms, 

too small to be seen without the aid of a 

microscope. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

MBOCA? 

Most exposure to MBOCA occurs in the workplace. 

If you work with MBOCA, you may breathe small 

particles of it in the air or get it on your skin if you 

brush against a surface covered by MBOCA dust. 

There are several other ways to be exposed to 

MBOCA outside of the workplace. For example, 

you may be exposed to MBOCA if you live in an 

area where the soil is contaminated with MBOCA. 

You may also be exposed if you eat foods grown in 

soils that contain MBOCA. However, you are 

unlikely to drink water contaminated with MBOCA 

because it does not dissolve easily in water. 

1.4 HOW CAN MBOCA ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

MBOCA can enter your bloodstream if you breathe 

it in the air, eat it, or get it on your skin. Results of 

studies in humans and animals show that MBOCA 

can enter your body very quickly through the skin 

or lungs. Once MBOCA is in your body, most of it 

leaves your body quickly. MBOCA and its 

breakdown products exit the body through the urine 

and feces. Results of studies in humans and animals 

show that most MBOCA exits the body within a 

few days of exposure. The small amount of 

MBOCA that may remain in your body after you 

are exposed is likely to break down or leave your 

body at a slow rate. 

1.5 HOW CAN MBOCA AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

Studies of human exposure suggest that the small 

amounts of MBOCA usually found in the air or on 

surfaces in or near factories do not cause toxic 

effects, other than cancer. However, it is possible 

that acute exposure to a large amount of MBOCA, 

such as in the case of an industrial accident, may 

produce effects that we do not know very much 

about. Information on how MBOCA can affect your 

health is very limited, and we do not know if there 

are any long-term human health effects of exposure 

to MBOCA. MBOCA is suspected of causing 

bladder cancer and is considered a probable human 

carcinogen. Information is being gathered to 

determine whether bladder cancer in humans may 

be a result of a short-, medium-, or long-term 

exposure to MBOCA. We do not know if MBOCA 

causes birth defects in humans. 

Results of studies in animals show that MBOCA 

can be harmful to the liver of exposed dogs and rats. 

MBOCA also causes cancer of the lungs, liver, 

breast, and bladder in animals. The Department of 

Health and Human Services has determined that 

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 

 4,4'- METHYLENEBIS (2-CHLOROANILINE) 

CAS#: 101-14-4 

Division of Toxicology May 1994 

MBOCA may reasonably be anticipated to be a 

carcinogen. The International Agency for Research 

on Cancer has determined that MBOCA is probably 

carcinogenic to humans. The EPA has determined 

that MBOCA is a probable human carcinogen. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO MBOCA? 

There is a test that can measure MBOCA in your 

urine within a few hours of exposure. This test, 

however, will not detect exposure to MBOCA after 

a few days. This test may not be commonly 

available in your doctor's office. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The government has developed regulations and 

guidelines for MBOCA. These are designed to 

protect the public from the possible harmful health 

effects of this chemical. EPA has classified 

MBOCA as a hazardous waste that must meet 

certain disposal requirements. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA) regulates levels of MBOCA in the 

workplace. The maximum allowable amount of 

MBOCA in workroom air, assuming an 8-hour 

workday and a 40-hour workweek, is 0.22 

milligrams per cubic meter. 

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). 1994. Toxicological profile for MBOCA. 

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