THE TOXICOLOGY OF 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE (ETHYLENE)

III. ITS ACUTE TOXICITY AND THE EFFECT OF PROTECTIVE AGENTS

¹ Senior Assistant Surgeon, From the Industrial Hygiene Research Laboratory, National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland
² Senior Surgeon, From the Industrial Hygiene Research Laboratory, National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland
³ Surgeon (Pathology Laboratory), From the Industrial Hygiene Research Laboratory, National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland
⁴ Senior Assistant Surgeon (Pathology Laboratory), From the Industrial Hygiene Research Laboratory, National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland
⁵ Junior Chemist, From the Industrial Hygiene Research Laboratory, National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland

(1) A 7-hour inhalation exposure to 12.4 mg./liter (3,000 parts per million) of 1,2-dichloroethane proved fatal to guinea pigs, rats, mice and rabbits. The animals showed varying degrees of narcosis while in the chamber. Death was preceded by dyspnea and increasing weakness. At autopsy there was pulmonary congestion, mild to moderate degeneration of renal tubular epithelium and occasionally necrosis of the adrenal cortex. Two raccoons and 3 cats were able to survive this exposure.

(2) Rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, hogs and dogs were exposed to 6.4 mg./liter (1500 parts per million) of dichloroethane. Almost all of these animals succumbed before 6 exposures of 7 hours each were completed. Similar pathological findings were noted. No significant lesions were seen in brain or spinal cord of dogs or rats.

(3) The acute oral, subcutaneous and intraperitoneal toxicity of dichloroethane was determined for mice.

(4) Various chemical compounds given orally just before the inhalation exposure protected mice against the effects of dichloroethane poisoning. These included p-aminobenzoic acid, methionine, aniline and sulfanilamide.