Bis(2-chloroethyl) ether
Listed on the First Priority Substances List (PSL1). Follow-up assessment concludes that bis(2-chloroethyl) ether is subject to the New Substances Notification Regulations
Bis(2-chloroethyl) ether is one of the 44 substances placed on the First Priority Substances List (PSL1) to determine whether the substance posed a significant risk to the health of Canadians or to the environment.
Assessment Status and Conclusion
The final PSL1 assessment report was published in 1993 and there was insufficient information to determine whether the substance constitutes a danger in Canada to human life or health.
Health Canada has reviewed new and existing information for BCEE and has released a draft follow-up report in October 2002. No comments were received during the 60-day comment period following the release of the draft follow-up report.
The final follow-up report concludes that an evaluation of the exposure potential as well as the potential effects on human health and the environment will be performed when notification under the New Substances Notification Regulations is submitted.
Related Information
- Synopsis of the Follow-up Report (2004)
- A notice has been published in Canada Gazette Part I on February 19th , 2005 - Publication of Final Results of Investigations and Recommendations for a Substance -- 3,5-dimethylaniline (subsections 68 (b) and (c) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999).
Publications
- PSL1 Assessment Report (1993)
- To obtain a paper copy of the, please contact the Inquiry Centre of Environment Canada, at:
Inquiry Centre
70 Crémazie, 7th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3
Phone: 1-800-668-6767 - Follow-up Report on a PSL1 Substance for Which Data Were Insufficient to Conclude Whether the Substance Was "Toxic" to Human Health. Bis(2-Chloroethyl) Ether. Health Canada. 2004
To obtain an electronic or a paper copy of the follow-up report, please send an email to existing.substances.existantes@ec.gc.ca, or visit Health Canada's website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/contaminants/psl1-lsp1/index-eng.php.
Currently, bis(2-chloroethyl) ether appears not to be produced in or imported into Canada; in the past, this substance was used in the synthesis of the fungicide Metam-Sodium in the United States and as a fragrance, perfume, deodorizer and flavouring agent in Canada. Recent information on the presence of this substance in formulations imported into Canada has not been identified.
Bis(2-chloroethyl) ether was included on the first Priority Substances List (PSL1) under the 1988 Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1988) for assessment of potential risks to the environment and human health. It is also not included on the Domestic Substances List; its importation and manufacture are therefore subject to Section 81 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) and the New Substances Notification Regulations.
As outlined in the Assessment Report released in 1993, relevant data identified before February 1992 were considered insufficient to conclude whether bis(2-chloroethyl) ether was “toxic” to human health as defined in Paragraph 11(c) of CEPA 1988.
Neither additional monitoring data nor adequate studies in experimental species or in humans relevant to assessing the human health risks of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether were identified during the period following the release of the PSL1 Assessment Report and prior to December 2000. However, predictions from modelling indicate that this substance is likely to be carcinogenic and mutagenic in animals.
An evaluation of the exposure potential as well as the potential effects on human health and the environment will be performed when notifications under the New Substances Notification Regulations are submitted. Should a suspicion of toxic to human health or the environment be identified at that time, appropriate control measures under CEPA 1999 will be introduced.