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Administration: Office of Environmental Health & Safety

Known and Suspected Carcinogens

The following chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens. This list has been compiled from a number of sources, but it is not (and cannot be) comprehensive.

Therefore, the absence of a chemical from this list does not mean that it cannot have carcinogenic properties. Neither does the presence of a chemical in the list indicate that it is a proven carcinogen.

However, users should treat the materials listed with the caution due to suspected carcinogens, and gather as much safety data as possible before starting work. Restrictions apply to the use of some of these chemicals in the U.K.

Links exist to MSDS data for some of these chemicals, but if there is no link for a chemical in which you are interested, try the main page on this web site, through which you can access MSDS data for a larger number of chemicals. Click here to get to the Safety web pages of the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University.

We have done our best to ensure the data below is as accurate as possible, but cannot accept responsibility for its use or mis-use.

A

B

C

D

  • D&C Orange No. 17 
  • D&C Red No. 8 
  • D&C Red No. 9 
  • D&C Red No. 19 
  • Dacarbazine 
  • Daminozide 
  • Dantron (Chrysazin; 1,8-Dihydroxyanthraquinone) 
  • dapsone 
  • Daunomycin 
  • DCM 
  • DDD (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) 
  • DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) 
  • DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) 
  • DDVP (Dichlorvos) 
  • Decabromodiphenyl ether 
  • N,N'-Diacetylbenzidine 
  • 2,4-Diaminoanisole 
  • 2,4-Diaminoanisole sulfate 
  • 4,4'-Diaminodiphenyl ether (4,4'-Oxydianiline) 
  • 2,4-Diaminotoluene 
  • Diaminotoluene (mixed) 
  • Dibenz[a,h]acridine 
  • Dibenz[a,j]acridine 
  • Dibenz[a,h]anthracene 
  • 7H-Dibenzo[c,g]carbazole 
  • Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene 
  • Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene 
  • Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene 
  • Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene 
  • 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) 
  • 1,2-Dibromoethane 
  • 2,3-Dibromo-1-propanol 
  • p-Dichlorobenzene 
  • 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine 
  • 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine dihydrochloride 
  • 1,4-Dichloro-2-butene 
  • 3,3'-Dichloro-4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether 
  • 1,1-Dichloroethane 
  • 1,2-Dichloroethane 
  • Dichloromethane (Methylene chloride) 
  • 1,2-Dichloropropane 
  • 1,3-Dichloropropene 
  • Dieldrin 
  • Dienestrol 
  • Diepoxybutane 
  • Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 
  • 1,2-Diethylhydrazine 
  • Diethyl sulfate 
  • DES, Diethylstilbestrol 
  • Diglycidyl resorcinol ether (DGRE) 
  • Dihydrosafrole 
  • Diisopropyl sulfate 
  • 3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine (ortho-Dianisidine) 
  • 3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine dihydrochloride (ortho-dianisidine dihydrochloride) 
    para-Dimethylaminoazobenzene 
  • 4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene trans-2-[(Dimethylamino)methylimino]-5-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-1,3,4- oxadiazole 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene 
  • 3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine (ortho-Tolidine) 
  • 3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine dihydrochloride 
  • Dimethylcarbamoyl chloride 
  • 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) 
  • 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine 
  • Dimethyl sulfate 
  • Dimethylvinyl Chloride 
  • 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene 
  • 1,6-Dinitropyrene 
  • 1,8-Dinitropyrene 
  • 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 
  • 2,6-Dinitrotoluene 
  • 1,4-Dioxane 
  • 1,2-diphenylhydrazine (hydrazobenzene) 
  • Diphenylhydantoin (Phenytoin) 
  • Diphenylhydantoin (Phenytoin), sodium salt 
  • Direct Black 38 
  • Direct Blue 6 
  • Direct Brown 95 
  • Disperse Blue 1

E

F

  • Folpet 
  • Formaldehyde (gas or aqueous solution) 
  • 2-(2-Formylhydrazino)-4-(5-nitro-2-furyl) thiazole 
  • Furan 
  • Furazolidone 
  • Furmecyclox 
  • Fusarin C

G

  • Glasswool fibers (airborne particles of respirable size) 
  • Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2- a:3', 2'-d]imidazole) 
  • Glu-P-2 (2-Aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) 
  • Glycidaldehyde 
  • Glycidol 
  • Griseofulvin 
  • Gyromitrin (Acetaldehyde methylformylhydrazone)

H

I

  • Indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene 
  • Indium trichloride 
  • IQ (2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline) 
  • Iron dextran complex 
  • Isosafrole

K

  • Kepone (Chlordecone)

L

  • Lactofen 
  • Lasiocarpine 
  • Lead 
  • Lead acetate 
  • Lead phosphate 
  • Lindane and other hexachlorocyclohexane isomers

M

  • Mancozeb 
  • Maneb 
  • Me-A-alpha-C (2-Amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2, 3-b]indole) 
  • Medroxyprogesterone acetate 
  • MeIQ(2-Amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline) 
  • MeIQx(2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline) 
  • Melphalan 
  • Merphalan 
  • Mestranol 
  • 2-Methylaziridine (Propyleneimine) 
  • Methylazoxymethanol 
  • Methylazoxymethanol acetate 
  • 3-Methylcholanthrene 
  • 5-Methylchrysene 
  • 4,4'-Methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA) 
  • 4,4'-Methylene bis(N,N-dimethyl)benzenamine 
  • 4,4'-Methylene bis(2-methylaniline) 
  • 4,4'-Methylenedianiline 
  • 4,4'-Methylenedianiline dihydrochloride 
  • Methylhydrazine and its salts 
  • Methyl chloromethyl ether 
  • Methyl-CCNU 
  • Methyl iodide 
  • Methyl methanesulfonate 
  • 2-Methyl-1-nitroanthraquinone 
  • N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) 
  • N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea 
  • N-Methylolacrylamide 
  • Methylthiouracil 
  • Metiram 
  • Metronidazole 
  • Michler's ketone 
  • Mineral Oils, untreated and mildly treated 
  • Mirex 
  • Mitomycin C 
  • MOPP 
  • Monocrotaline 
  • 5-(Morpholinomethyl)-3-[(5-nitro-fufurylidene)-amino]-2-oxazolidinone 
  • Mustard gas

N

  • Nafenopin 
  • 1-Naphthylamine 
  • 2-Naphthylamine 
  • 3-Naphthylamine 
  • Nickel and certain nickel compounds 
  • Nickel carbonyl 
  • Nickel subsulfide 
  • Niridazole 
  • Nitrilotriacetic acid 
  • Nitrilotriacetic acid, trisodium salt monohydrate 
  • 5-Nitroacenaphthene 
  • 5-Nitro-o-anisidine 
  • o-Nitroanisole 
  • 4-Nitrobiphenyl 
  • 6-Nitrochrysene 
  • Nitrofen 
  • 2-Nitrofluorene 
  • Nitrofurazone 
  • 1-[(5-Nitrofurfurylidene)amino]-2-imidazollidinone 
  • 1-[(5-Nitrofurfurylidene)-N-[4-(5-Nitro-2-furyl)-2 thiazolyl]acetamide 
  • Nitrogen mustard (Mechlorethamine) 
  • Nitrogen mustard hydrochloride (Mechlorethamine hydrochloride) 
  • Nitrogen mustard N-oxide 
  • Nitrogen mustard N-oxide hydrochloride 
  • 2-Nitropropane 
  • 4-Nitropyrene 
  • N-Nitrosodi-n-butylamine 
  • N-Nitrosodiethanolamine 
  • N-Nitrosodiethylamine 
  • N-Nitrosodimethylamine 
  • p-Nitrosodiphenylamine 
  • N-Nitrosodiphenylamine 
  • N-Nitrosodi-n-propylamine 
  • N-Nitroso-N-ethylurea 
  • 3-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)propionitrile 
  • 4-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) 
  • N-Nitrosomethylethylamine 
  • N-Nitroso-N-methylurea 
  • N-Nitroso-N-methylurethane 
  • N-Nitrosomethylvinylamine 
  • N-Nitrosomorpholine 
  • N-Nitrosonornicotine 
  • N-Nitrosopiperidine 
  • N-Nitrosopyrrolidine 
  • N-Nitrososarcosine 
  • Norethisterone (Norethindrone)

O

  • Ochratoxin A 
  • Oestrogen, nonstreoidal 
  • Oestrogen, steroidal 
  • Oil Orange SS 
  • 4,4'-Oxydianiline 
  • Oxadiazon 
  • Oxymetholone 
  • Oxazepam

P

R

S

T

U

  • Uracil mustard 
  • Urethane (Ethyl carbamate)

V

X

  • 2,6-Xylidine (2,6-Dimethylaniline)

Z

  • Zineb 

High Toxicity Chemicals

The following table lists some of the most common chemicals which present a particularly severe risk to health (high toxicity chemicals). This list is of course not intended to be comprehensive, so don't assume that if a chemical does not appear on it, the chemical presents a negligible risk!

Web links to the properties of most chemicals (MSDS data) are provided. If no link is given for the chemical in which you are interested, you can try going to the MSDS section of the Safety Home Page of the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory at Oxford University which contains links to data on a large number of chemicals.