1,2-Dichloropropane is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...

classified as a

chlorocarbon An organochloride, organochlorine compound, chlorocarbon, or chlorinated hydrocarbon is an organic compound containing at least one covalently bonded atom of chlorine. The chloroalkane class (alkanes with one or more hydrogens substituted by chlo ...

. It is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. it is obtained as a byproduct of the production of epichlorohydrin, which is produced on a large scale.Manfred Rossberg, Wilhelm Lendle, Gerhard Pfleiderer, Adolf Tögel, Eberhard-Ludwig Dreher, Ernst Langer, Heinz Rassaerts, Peter Kleinschmidt, Heinz Strack, Richard Cook, Uwe Beck, Karl-August Lipper, Theodore R. Torkelson, Eckhard Löser, Klaus K. Beutel, Trevor Mann "Chlorinated Hydrocarbons" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2006, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. .

Uses

1,2-Dichloropropane is an intermediate in the production of

perchloroethylene Tetrachloroethylene, also known under the systematic name tetrachloroethene, or perchloroethylene, and many other names (and abbreviations such as "perc" or "PERC", and "PCE"), is a chlorocarbon with the formula Cl2C=CCl2 . It is a colorless li ...

and other chlorinated chemicals. It was once used as a soil

fumigant Fumigation is a method of pest control or the removal of harmful micro-organisms by completely filling an area with gaseous pesticides—or fumigants—to suffocate or poison the pests within. It is used to control pests in buildings (s ...

, chemical intermediate, as well as an industrial solvent and was found in paint strippers, varnishes, and furniture finish removers but some of these uses have been discontinued.

Carcinogenity

Following several cases of bile duct cancer among Japanese printing firm employees, an investigation by the Japanese

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare. It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and the ...

concluded in March 2013 that these cases were likely due to the use of cleaning agents containing 1,2-dichloropropane. Thus, there is reasonable evidence that 1,2-dichloropropane may be a

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...

.Report by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
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in the

Yomiuri Shinbun The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are t ...

Data from animal studies show tumor growth in the liver and mammary glands. Further animal studies involving inhalation toxicity data has caused the

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...

to classify 1,2-dichloropropane as a carcinogen and

IDLH The term immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) is defined by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as exposure to airborne contaminants that is "likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent advers ...

.Documentation for Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health Concentrations (IDLHs)
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dichloropropane, 1, 2- Chloroalkanes Sweet-smelling chemicals