Methylene Chloride | Toxic Exposure

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After years of preventable deaths and devastating illnesses caused by this toxic chemical found in paint strippers, the Environmental Protection Agency’s comprehensive methylene chloride ban in 2024 validates that the chemical poses an unreasonable risk that companies should never have ignored.

The Federal Recognition of Methylene Chloride Dangers

On April 30, 2024, the EPA finalized sweeping restrictions on methylene chloride use, citing the chemical’s connection to liver cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, brain cancer, blood cancers, and central nervous system cancers.

This regulatory action represents a watershed moment in chemical safety, acknowledging decades of scientific evidence linking methylene chloride exposure to fatal health consequences.

The new regulations dramatically reduce workplace exposure limits from the previous OSHA standard of 25 parts per million to just 2 PPM for the 8-hour time-weighted average. This ten-fold reduction demonstrates the severe inadequacy of previous safety standards and raises serious questions about the corporate responsibility of companies that exposed workers to dangerous levels for years.

Workers and consumers have suffered serious injuries or death after using toxic paint strippers containing Methylene Chloride. The toxin is linked to hundreds of ER visits and multiple deaths each year.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 14 workers have died of methylene chloride poisoning since 2000. The CDC urges that work areas must be Workplace Ventilation Risks when levels of methylene chloride exceed exposure limits, and urge workers to use respiratory protective equipment, such as tight-fitting, full-face, supplied-air respirators.

Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is used in various industrial processes, including paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, paint remover manufacturing, and metal cleaning and degreasing, even with severe risks of dangerous inhalation and skin exposure.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) passed stricter regulations regarding occupational use of methylene chloride in 1997, but these laws don’t protect self-employed individuals or private consumers who willingly purchase methylene chloride products.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Personal Injury Lawyer who has represented individuals nationwide in workplace injury toxic exposure and toxic tort claims.

Common Uses of Methylene Chloride

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced new limitations on uses of methylene chloride, and said the chemical presents an unreasonable risk to consumers and workers.

Officials note that methylene chloride, commonly found in paint strippers, is linked to more than 50 deaths since the 1980s. Chemical safety experts have called for a significant reduction in commercial and consumer use.

The new EPA regulation prohibits the manufacture and use of consumer products containing methylene chloride, but stops short of banning it for commercial use, leaving a wide range of workers still vulnerable to inhalation injuries and associated cancer risks.

Toxic solvents are used in a number of different industries and applications, including:

• Adhesives
• Paint
• Paint removers
• Coatings
• Varnish strippers and coatings
• Metal cleaning: Medical equipment can be quickly cleaned without causing corrosion problems or damage to heat-sensitive parts.
• Food & Beverage: used as an extraction solvent in the F&B manufacturing industry. Methylene chloride can be used to remove caffeine from unroasted coffee beans and tea leaves, to process spices, or create hops extract.
• Transportation: Used to degrease metal parts, airplane components and railroad equipment.
• Medical Applications: used in laboratories to extract chemicals from plants or foods for steroids, antibiotics and vitamins.
• Photography
• Chemical processing
• Aerosols
• Bathtub refinishing

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated and identified certain health risks to consumers and workers. Studies show that paint and coating removal pose some of the highest exposures among the various solvent uses. The EPA has moved to limit use in consumer paint stripping products.

Preventing Toxic Exposure at the Workplace

Health authorities say dozens of people have died from exposure to solvents and toxins. OSHA issued a warning to workers of the dangers after a recent death from exposure to the chemical. In the death report, a worker was using a paint stripper to remove bathtub coating solution containing 90 percent methylene chloride. The worker was found unconscious and dead of asphyxiation with acute toxicity.

OSHA advises employers to use safer chemical alternatives, or to follow OSHA standards:

• Perform monitoring and air sampling to determine toxin exposure.
• Implement a respiratory protection program.
• Provide adequate ventilation (fans and open windows are NOT adequate).
• Provide and enforce the use of proper personal protective equipment.
• Provide hazard training to workers.

Skin contact should be minimized by using gloves made of polyethylene vinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl alcohol (PVA/EVA), which are resistant to toxic absorption. Other types of gloves are not recommended for use with solvents, including latex, nitrile, neoprene, polyethylene, and butyl rubber gloves.

Industries at Risk and Common Exposure Scenarios

Methylene chloride exposure primarily occurs in industries utilizing paint stripping and degreasing operations. Construction workers, automotive refinishers and furniture restoration specialists face the highest exposure risks during routine job tasks.

Bathtub refinishing represents one of the most dangerous exposure scenarios, with workers often operating in poorly ventilated bathroom spaces while applying methylene chloride-based strippers. Multiple fatalities have occurred in these confined environments, where toxic vapors concentrate rapidly and overwhelm victims before they can escape.

Aircraft maintenance operations have also documented severe exposure incidents, as workers used methylene chloride products for paint removal in hangars and enclosed spaces. The aviation industry’s reliance on these chemicals has created ongoing exposure risks for maintenance crews nationwide.

Home renovation projects involving paint stripping have resulted in consumer deaths, particularly when individuals used methylene chloride products without adequate ventilation or protective equipment.

Why Choose The Lyon Firm for Your Methylene Chloride Case‍

Joe Lyon serves as a highly-rated toxic tort attorney with extensive experience in chemical exposure litigation, understanding both the medical complexities of toxic exposure cases and the corporate liability strategies necessary for successful outcomes. The firm’s nationwide practice ensures consistent representation regardless of where exposure occurred.

The Lyon Firm operates on a contingency fee basis, making quality legal representation accessible to families regardless of their financial situation, particularly important for those facing mounting medical bills or dealing with wrongful death circumstances.