CPSC Urges Ventilation To Reduce Methylene Chloride Cancer Risk:
Safety Alert
Consumer Product Safety Commission
CPSC Urges Ventilation To Reduce Methylene Chloride Cancer Risk: Safety Alert
CPSC Document #5059
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges
consumers to reduce their cancer risk when working with paint
strippers and adhesive removers containing methylene chloride, by
using the products outdoors or by ventilating the work area.
Methylene chloride has been shown to cause cancer in certain
laboratory animals. To properly ventilate the work area, open all
windows and doors and use a fan to exhaust the air outside. Since
1987, when warning labels were required for household products
containing methylene chloride, there has been a 55 percent
reduction in the estimated number of cancers to be caused
annually in the U.S. from these products. However, CPSC is still
concerned about the potential risk to consumers who inhale high
levels of fumes when using paint strippers and adhesive removers.
The CPSC staff is studying various substitutes for methylene
chloride to evaluate the flammability and chronic hazards of
those formulations. In addition, the Commission staff is studying
current warning labels and consumer education materials and may
propose revisions to them in the future, emphasizing the
importance of ventilation when working with methylene chloride
products.
- Use paint strippers and other products containing methylene
chloride outdoors.
- If a product containing methylene chloride must be used indoors, even in a garage; open all windows and doors and use a fan to
exhaust the air outside during application and drying.
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