The toxicity of hexachloroethane in laboratory animals.

Studies were conducted to assess hazards to personnel exposed to hexachloroethane (HCE) in an industrial setting. Acute testing in laboratory animals indicated HCE was moderately toxic orally and could produce reversible eye irritation and mild skin irritation. Percutaneous absorption appeared to have no practical significance. The subchronic vapor inhalation toxicity was determined in rats, guinea pigs, Japanese quail and dogs in a 6-week test, monitoring pulmonary function changes, teratogenicity and operant behavioral changes in addition to clinical chemistry, hematology and histopathology. Concentrations of 260 ppm HCE vapor caused severe systemic effects in dogs, moderate effects in guinea pigs and rats and almost no responses in quail. No differences were found between exposed and control animals at 3 months after termination of these exposures. Minimal toxic effects were found following similar 6-week tests at levels of 48 ppm with no detectable changes at 15 ppm of HCE.