Stephen Wieroniey On Aug. 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final risk assessment on methylene chloride (DCM). The risk assessment was started in 2012 under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan. In March of 2013, EPA released a list of 83 chemicals which would have risk assessments to determine if further TSCA regulation was needed.
To date, EPA has completed the first five assessments. During 2013 and 2014, EPA stated they planned to conduct a review of 23 flame retardants, but it is unclear where EPA is in the process.
In the final risk assessment, EPA stated that “over 230,000 workers nationwide are directly exposed to DCM from DCM-based strippers,” but the agency offered no data to estimate the number of consumers exposed to DCM. EPA cited that chronic exposure to DCM poses a cancer risk and non-cancer risks for the liver, which is greatest to those who handle DCM without proper respiratory protection. EPA stated that acute exposure to DCM may result in neurological effects for workers and consumers using DCM without adequate respiratory protection and ventilation.
Read on at:
http://paint.org/news/industry-news/item/1586-epa-releases-final-risk-assessment-on-methylene-chloride.html
To date, EPA has completed the first five assessments. During 2013 and 2014, EPA stated they planned to conduct a review of 23 flame retardants, but it is unclear where EPA is in the process.
In the final risk assessment, EPA stated that “over 230,000 workers nationwide are directly exposed to DCM from DCM-based strippers,” but the agency offered no data to estimate the number of consumers exposed to DCM. EPA cited that chronic exposure to DCM poses a cancer risk and non-cancer risks for the liver, which is greatest to those who handle DCM without proper respiratory protection. EPA stated that acute exposure to DCM may result in neurological effects for workers and consumers using DCM without adequate respiratory protection and ventilation.
Read on at:
http://paint.org/news/industry-news/item/1586-epa-releases-final-risk-assessment-on-methylene-chloride.html
