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Paint Stripper with Methylene Chloride

Paint and varnish removers, paint and varnish strippers, and surface cleaners that contain methylene chloride have been proposed as an Initial Priority Product. Methylene chloride is a well-known and widely used solvent in paint strippers Marketing of methylene chloride-based paint strippers has been banned in the European Union. Methylene chloride is acutely toxic to the nervous system.

Methylene chloride is metabolized to carbon monoxide in the body and can cause severe cases of carbon monoxide intoxication. Between 2000 and 2011 there were at least 14 worker deaths reported in the U.S. related to bathtub refinishing with stripping agents containing methylene chloride. Do-it-yourselfers are also at risk when using these products in confined spaces.

Supporting Documents

The following downloadable documents summarize information compiled by DTSC as of March 13, 2014. As the department receives additional information through workshops and other communications, it may modify the description of the chemical(s) or product or both. Such changes, and DTSC’s updated rationale for selecting this proposed Priority Product, will be reflected in the official rulemaking file. In using these materials, readers should consider the following:

These documents are not regulatory documents and have no force of law.
The department is not asserting that the product cannot be used safely, only that there is a potential for exposure of people or wildlife to the Chemical of Concern in the Priority Product and that such exposure has the potential to cause or contribute to significant or widespread adverse impacts.

DTSC requests that interested stakeholders provide data on the chemical and product described in this document to assist us in the discernment process that will lead to our regulatory proposal.