Illnesses linked to dichloromethane aka DCM aka methylene chloride

CAS number: 75-09-2

Diseases linked to this toxicant grouped by strength of evidence.

Photo of DCM-based paint stripper as used by the Irish Air Corps in 2015. An EU ban on the use of DCM-based paint strippers came into force three years earlier on the 6th of June 2012.

Strong Evidence

  • Arrhythmias*
  • Myocardial infarction (heart attack)*

Good Evidence

  • Brain cancer – adult*
  • Fetotoxicity (miscarriage / spontaneous abortion, stillbirth)*
  • Reduced fertility – male (infertility and subfertility)*

Limited Evidence

  • Breast cancer*
  • Hepatocellular cancer (liver cancer)
  • Lung cancer*
  • Pancreatic cancer*
  • Peripheral neuropathy*
  • Prostate cancer*

Illnesses marked thus * have been suffered by Irish Air Corps personnel or their offspring.

2 thoughts on “Illnesses linked to dichloromethane aka DCM aka methylene chloride”

  1. Ex engine shop ERF was there when they first introduced the tricethloryn (Trich)
    Bath for decreasing engine parts ,out canteen area was directly next to this bath.,we never knew how dangerous this chemical is.my son has ADD autism, maybe this is the cause

    1. The concentration of dichloromethane vapours was tested in ERF to be 3.5 times over safety levels, DCM was a volatile component of Ardrox 666. It is a given that personnel were wearing contaminated clothing home from this location. Throughtout the 1970s waste Ardrox 666 was disposed of by the Air Corps by dumping it in the ground where the new Main Technical Stores was subsequently built. Personnel in MTS later complained of “sick building syndrome” and a number suffered cancers, cardiovascular problems, strokes & early onset dementia. Autism & congenital defects have been observed in children of personnel serving in MTS.

      Obviously all the personnel in ERF / Avionics were breathing all the components of Ardrox 666 as well as what was in the Trike bath. So serving females could have exposed their unborn children via this inhallation route but for serving men to expose their children or pregnant partners their working dress would have to have been contaminated and worn & washed at home.

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