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1,2-Dichloroethylene																				Related Pages
										May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
**CAS number:** 540–59–0
**NIOSH REL:** 200 ppm (790 mg/m3) TWA
**Current OSHA PEL:** 200 ppm (790 mg/m3) TWA
**1989 OSHA PEL:** Same as current PEL
**1993-1994 ACGIH TLV:** 200 ppm (790 mg/m3) TWA
**Description of Substance:** Colorless liquid (usually a mixture of the cis & trans isomers) with a slightly acrid, chloroform-like odor.
**LEL:**. . 5.6% (10% LEL, 5,600 ppm)
**Original (SCP) IDLH:** 4,000 ppm
**Basis for original (SCP) IDLH:** Patty [1963] reported that rats exposed to the cis-isomer of dichloroethylene for 4 hours at 8,000 ppm were neither killed nor anesthetized, but at 16,000 ppm, anesthesia occurred in 8 minutes and death occurred in 4 hours [Smyth 1956]. Because Patty [1963] also reported that the trans-isomer was twice as toxic and anesthetic as the cis-isomer, an IDLH of 4,000 ppm is chosen.
**Short-term exposure guidelines:** None developed
**ACUTE TOXICITY DATA**
**Lethal concentration data:**

**Species**
    **Reference**
    **LC50** **(ppm)**
    **LCLo** **(ppm)**
    **Time**
    **Adjusted 0.5-hr** **LC (CF)**
    **Derived** **value**trans-isomerMouse
    ATSDR 1990
    21,723
    -----
    6 hr
    130,338 ppm (2.3)
    13,034 ppmcis-isomerRat
    Smyth 1956
    -----
    16,000
    6 hr
    32,000 ppm (2.0)
    3,200 ppm
 **Lethal dose data:**
 
 **Species**
    **Reference**
    **Route**
    **LD50** **(mg/kg)**
    **LDLo** **(mg/kg)**
    **Adjusted LD**
    **Derived value**Rat
    USDA 1966
    oral
    770
    -----
    1,337 ppm
    134 ppmtrans-isomerRat
    Freudt et al. 1977
    oral
    1,275
    -----
    8,925 ppm
    893 ppm
 **Human data:** It has been reported that exposure to the trans-isomer at 2,200 ppm caused burning of the eyes, vertigo, and nausea [von Oettingen 1955]. An exposure to the trans-isomer at 819 ppm for 30 minutes has been reported to cause no untoward effects, while inhalation of either 1,687 to 2,184 ppm for 5 minutes or 1,191 ppm for 10 minutes has resulted in vertigo, pressure in the head, and somnolence [von Oettingen 1937].
 
 **Revised IDLH:** 1,000 ppm **Basis for revised IDLH:** The revised IDLH for 1,2-dichloroethylene is 1,000 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans [von Oettingen 1937, 1955].
**REFERENCES:**
1. ATSDR [1990]. Toxicological profile for 1,2-dichloroethene. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. ATSDR/TP-90-13, pp. 9-52.
2. Freudt KJ, Liebaldt GP, Lieberwirth E [1977]. Toxicity studies on trans-1,2-dichloroethylene. Toxicology *7*:141-153.
3. Patty FA, ed. [1963]. Industrial hygiene and toxicology. 2nd rev. ed. Vol. II. Toxicology. New York, NY: Interscience Publishers, Inc., p. 1308.
4. Smyth HF Jr [1956]. Improved communication: hygienic standards for daily inhalation. Am Ind Hyg Assoc Q *17*(2):129-185.
5. USDA [1966]. Informative memo no. 20. Beltsville, MD: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Entomology Research Division, Pesticide Chemicals Research Branch, p. 10.
6. von Oettingen WF [1937]. The halogenated hydrocarbons: their toxicity and potential dangers. J Ind Hyg Toxicol *19*(8):409-411.
7. von Oettingen WF [1955]. The halogenated hydrocarbons, toxicity and potential dangers. Washington, DC: U.S. Public Health Service Publication No. 414, p. 199. [From ACGIH [1991]. 1,2-Dichloroethylene. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, pp. 429-431.]

			
							
								Page last reviewed:  December 4, 2014						Content
							source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH Publications & Products
Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health (IDLH) Values
Table of IDLH Values
Criteria for Determining IDLH Values
Historical Documentation
Original (SCP) Values
Abbreviations for IDLH Documentation
Abbreviations for Journal Titles Follow NIOSH Facebook
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