Baby Safety / Compounds / Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN)

Is Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) safe for babies and kids?

Elevated risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is dichloroacetonitrile (dcan)?

The IUPAC name is 2,2-dichloroacetonitrile.

Also known as: 2,2-dichloroacetonitrile, DICHLOROACETONITRILE, Acetonitrile, dichloro-, Dichloromethyl cyanide.

IUPAC name
2,2-dichloroacetonitrile
CAS number
3018-12-0
Molecular formula
C2HCl2N
Molecular weight
109.94 g/mol
SMILES
C(#N)C(Cl)Cl
PubChem CID
18177

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

Infants are more vulnerable to Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 3 positive / 0 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 3 positive / 0 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter dichloroacetonitrile (dcan)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN):

  • Point-of-use filtration; Alternative disinfection (UV, ozone)
    Trade-offs: Powerful oxidant; effective for taste/odor and micropollutants; decomposes to oxygen (no residual); forms bromate in bromide-containing water; capital cost moderate; operational complexity higher than chlorination.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is dichloroacetonitrile (dcan) safe for kids?

Infants are more vulnerable to Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What products contain dichloroacetonitrile (dcan)?

Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

What should I do if my child is exposed to dichloroacetonitrile (dcan)?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about dichloroacetonitrile (dcan)?

Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) has been classified by 3 agencies including EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) in the baby app

Look up products containing dichloroacetonitrile (dcan), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US EPA: Contaminant Candidate List 5 (CCL5) — Unregulated Drinking Water Contaminants for Potential Future Regulation, Including Haloacetonitriles, Nitrosamines, and Other DBPs (2022) (2022) — regulatory
  2. WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (4th edition, incorporating the 1st and 2nd addenda, 2022) — Disinfection Byproducts: THMs, HAAs, Chlorite, Bromate, Chloral Hydrate; Guideline Values and Health Basis (2022) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →