The Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability department has implemented the Environmental Protection Agency’s  regulating the use of dichloromethane/methylene chloride (DCM/MC). The new regulation does not ban the use of DCM/MC in research, nor does Â鶹APP have any intention to ban its use, but it does significantly increase the regulatory requirements for its use. Academic research laboratories must comply with these new requirements. More info about this new rule is availableÂ
Due to an 18-month extension of the original deadline dates promulgated by the EPA, the current DCM/MC compliance deadlines are as follows:
- µţ˛âĚýNovember 9, 2026, we must complete initial air monitoring/sampling of “potentially exposed persons” user groups. This will require sampling the air in a person’s breathing zone of a representative sampling of individuals who use large amounts of DCM/MC (high-level users) and those who use small quantities (low-level users). If any sampling results are at or above the level established in the rule, then periodic air sampling is required for that person or user group (depending on the pervasiveness of sampling results exceeding limits) on either a 3-month or 6-month frequency.
- µţ˛âĚýFebruary 8, 2027, no individual at Â鶹APP can be exposed above the very conservative limits set by the EPA.
- µţ˛âĚýMay 10, 2027, VU must establish an Exposure Control Plan (ECP).Â
The updated rule with the deadline extension was finalized in November 2025 and can be foundÂ
At this time the least impactful course of action for VU labs is to find substitutes if at all possible and subsequently dispose of any DCM/MC currently in stock by notifying us by requesting a waste collection through ; however, we recognize that substitution might not be possible in your lab’s processes and we will strive to support you in incorporating these new requirements into your lab’s operations in the least impactful way possible. Only mixtures/products that include DMC/MC below 0.1% by weight are NOT subject to the restrictions in this regulation.Â
While there are lab processes that will continue to require the use of DCM/MC, suggested chemical substitutions are summarized below. If you have other suggestions, please email us at chemicalsafety@vanderbilt.edu and we will add them to the list.
Chromatography and extraction are good targets for substitution because they are two of the most common and high-volume laboratory tasks where DCM/MC is used.
- ACS Green Chemistry Institute has published resources on dichloromethane alternatives – See “DCM Alternatives & Resources” atÂ
- ACS published "Greener Alternatives for Dichloromethane" which can be viewed .
- In a 2008 article in Green Chemistry, the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) group at Pfizer Global Research and Development recommended  with Ethyl Acetate/Hexane for chromatography and with Ethyl Acetate, MTBE, Toluene, or 2-MeTHF for extractions.
- Â suggests a 3:1 ratio of ethyl acetate to ethanol as a starting point for creating new methods without DCM for chromatography purification.
- These articles from ,Ěý, and  have additional information about this issue and its potential impact on colleges and universities.
If you would like to dispose of the DCM/MC in your lab, then please submit a waste collection request in EHS Assist.