DICHLOROMETHANE - EVALUATION OF RISKS TO HEALTH FROM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE IN CANADA

''Dichloromethane'' is included on the List of Priority Substances to be assessed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Based upo n estimation of the total average daily intake of dichloromethane from indoor air, ambient air, drinking water and food for various age grou ps in the Canadian general population, air (particularly indoor air) a ppears to be the most important source of exposure. Based upon the suf ficient weight of evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals, dichloromethane is considered to be ''probably carcinogenic to humans ''. Based on the comparison of estimated exposure with quantitative es timates of cancer potency, the priority for analysis of options to red uce exposure in the general environment is considered to be low to mod erate compared to that of other substances assessed in the Priority Su bstances program.