The compound, 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCE), is a colorless, nonflammable liquid with a sweet, pleasant odor. It is relatively insoluble in water; miscible with alcohol, ether, and other organic liquids; and soluble in chloroform. In a study on the metabolic disposition of (1,2-14C)1,1,2-TCE in rodents, most of an oral dose of the compound (300 and 70 mg/kg in mice and rats, respectively) was absorbed within 48 hours after administration. Acute oral LD50 values for 1,1,2-TCE of 378 and 491 mg/kg were obtained for mice, and LD50 values of 100, 200, 580, and 835 mg/kg were reported for rats. The oral LDLO for 1,1,2-TCE in dogs was 720 mg/kg. Side effects accompanying acute oral exposure to the compound included gastric irritation, red or hemorrhaged lungs, and pale liver. 1,1,2-TCE-induced toxicity appears to occur via bioactivation and via covalent binding to DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. Pretreatment with known MFO inducers, such as phenobarbital, acetone, and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), causes a significant increase in tissue and cellular damage.