Methylene Chloride – Unreasonable Risk to Human Health

Methylene chloride is a volatile chemical that is used as a solvent in vapor degreasing, metal cleaning, manufacturing of refrigerant chemicals, and as a component in sealants and adhesive removers according to a press release from the EPA dated November 10, 2022. Adhesives, sealants, degreasers, cleaners, and vehicle goods are among the products often used by consumers, according to the EPA.

According to the EPA's revised risk assessment, methylene chloride poses an unreasonably high risk to the health of employees, occupational non-users (ONUs), consumers, and bystanders who are not directly exposed to the chemical. According to the EPA, acute and ongoing cutaneous and inhalational exposure to methylene chloride pose hazards for poor human health outcomes unrelated to cancer, such as neurotoxicity and liver damage. The EPA also noted cancer hazards from long-term cutaneous and inhalation exposure to methylene chloride.

The EPA claims that it used the entire chemical risk determination approach for methylene chloride in part because there are benchmark exceedances for numerous Conditions of Uses (COUs) (covering the majority of the chemical lifecycle from manufacturing (import), processing, commercial use, consumer use, and disposal) for the health of workers, ONUs, consumers, and bystanders and because the health effects related with methylene chloride exposures are severe and potentially permanent (particularly cancer, coma, hypoxia, and death).

52 of the 53 COUs examined, according to EPA, are responsible for the determination of the unreasonable risk. The unjustifiable risk associated with distribution in commerce is not driven by one COU.

EPA outline that the revised risk determination for methylene chloride does not indicate an assumption that traders always and appropriately wear private protective equipment (PPE), despite some abilities might be using PPE all at once means to reduce traders’ exposure. EPA states that this conclusion should not be viewed as evidence that it believes there is extensive non-compliance accompanying applicable OSHA standards. In fact, in accordance with EPA, it received public comments from industry accused about occupational security practices currently in use at their abilities and will consider these comments, in addition to other information on use of PPE, architecture controls, and other ways manufacturing protects its peasants, as potential ways to address unreasonable risk all along the risk management process. The consideration concerning this information will belong to the risk management process.