Trichloroethylene; evaluation of the effects on reproduction, recommendation for classification

On request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands evaluates the effects on the reproduction of substances at the workplace. The Health Council’s Committee for Compounds Toxic to Reproduction recommends to classify compounds toxic to reproduction according to the Directive 93/21/EEC of the European Union. In the present report the committee has reviewed trichloroethylene.

The committee’s recommendations are

• For effects on fertility, the committee recommends not classifying trichloroethylene on the basis of a lack of sufficient human data, and sufficient animal data which show that no classification is indicated.
• For developmental toxicity, the committee recommends classifying trichloroethylene in category 2 (substances which should be regarded as if they impair fertility in humans) and labelling trichloroethylene with T;R61.
• For effects during lactation, the committee is of the opinion that due to a lack of appropriate data trichloroethylene should not be labelled.