On May 3, 2023, the EPA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to ban most uses of methylene chloride.
, and dichloromethane is the second chemical whose risk is regulated under the reform process created by Frank R. Lautenberg. 21st Century Chemical Safety Act of 2016. Last year, the agency proposed measures to protect people from asbestos exposure.
Dichloromethane is used in a variety of ways, including consumer applications such as aerosol degreasers and brush cleaners for paints and coatings, commercial applications such as adhesives and sealants, and industrial applications for the production of other chemicals. For example, dichloromethane is used as a chemical intermediate in the production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) 32, which are used in blended refrigerants designed to replace substances with a higher global warming potential.
At least 85 patients have died from acute exposure to methylene chloride since 1980, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, most of them home improvement contract workers, even when they were fully trained and equipped with personal protective equipment.
The agency’s definition of risk for dichloromethane is unreasonable and is based on risks associated with workers, professional non-users of the chemical (workers who are nearby but not directly exposed to the chemical), consumers and those close to consumers. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified the risk of adverse human health effects from inhalation and skin exposure to methylene chloride, including neurotoxicity, effects on the liver, and cancer.
The proposed risk management rules will rapidly reduce the production, processing and distribution of methylene chloride for all consumer uses and most industrial and commercial uses, most of which will be fully realized within 15 months. The analysis showed that for most of the methylene chloride uses that the EPA has proposed to ban, alternative products are generally available with the same cost and effectiveness as methylene chloride products.
“The scientific evidence for methylene chloride is clear, and exposure to methylene chloride can cause serious health consequences, even death, for far too many people,” EPA chief Michael S. Regan said in a news release from the agency. lost loved ones due to acute poisoning. “That’s why the EPA is taking action to recommend a ban on most uses of this chemical, as well as protecting workers’ health and reducing exposure in all other situations by introducing stricter workplace controls. This historic Proposed Ban demonstrates the significant progress we have made in implementing new chemical safety safeguards and taking long-awaited measures to better protect public health.”
“For industrial manufacturing, industrial processing, and federal use that the EPA does not recommend prohibition, the EPA offers a workplace chemical protection program that includes strict exposure limits to better protect workers,” it said in a statement. may already meet proposed stricter exposure limits for methylene chloride. These proposed requirements will allow methylene chloride to continue to be processed to produce chemicals that are important in combating global warming. Climate-friendly refrigerants and other chemicals play an important role in combating climate change. , and the EPA’s proposed rule supports further emissions reduction efforts.”
In addition, the EPA recommends that certain uses of dichloromethane required by NASA, DOD and FAA continue to be tightly controlled in the workplace, as exposure can be greatly reduced in these very difficult conditions, thereby minimizing the risk to workers.
“The proposed bans and restrictions will also protect society from exposure to methylene chloride,” the statement said. “Using six years of toxic release exposure data, the EPA has identified a small number of facilities as a potential risk to fenced communities. The ban in the EPA’s proposed rule will cover the continued use of methylene chloride at most such facilities, effectively eliminating the risk to the potential risk to neighboring communities.”
Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted through the Federal Electronic Rulemaking Portal, file number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465, deadline July 3, 2023.
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