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this pageChemical Hazards at Home and in the Workplace
Household products that contain ethylene glycol ethers, toluene or xylene may be hazardous to your health. This guide tells you which products are affected and explains how exposure occurs. It also lists the jobs that may put you in contact with these dangerous chemicals.
Toluene
Produced during the manufacture of gasoline, toluene is also used in paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, and adhesives. Workers in the paint manufacturing or petroleum industries are at high risk for toluene exposure. Consumers may be exposed through breathing in fumes from automobile exhaust or from household products containing toluene.
Toluene affects the nervous system, causing fatigue, weakness, confusion, memory loss, nausea, vision loss and hearing loss, even at low to moderate levels (Toxicological Profile of Toluene, ATSDR; Toluene Toxicity, Physiologic Effects, ATSDR). At high levels, toluene damages the kidneys and may cause intoxication, unconsciousness or even death.
Ethylene Glycol Ethers
Ethylene glycol ethers include a large group of chemicals that are used as solvents in latex paint, enamel, varnishes, lacquers, inks and semiconductor chip coatings. Some are also used in industrial and household cleaners, in dry–cleaning compounds and in cosmetics.
People may refer to ethylene glycol ethers as just “ethylene,” although this designation is not technically correct. Some common ethylene glycol ethers include: 2–butoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, EGBE or Butyl Cellusolve), 2–methoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monomethyl ether or EGME) and 2–ethoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether or EGEE) and the acetate form of these compounds.
You may be exposed to ethylene glycol ethers through skin contact or by breathing in these chemicals. They are easily absorbed into the skin and can dissolve its natural protective oils. Ethylene glycol ethers may irritate the eyes, nose and throat as well as the skin. High levels of exposure can damage red blood cells and lead to anemia.
Some ethylene glycol ethers such as 2–methoxyethanol and 2–ethoxyethanol may cause reproductive problems, including reduced sperm count. Animal studies link these chemicals to birth defects (Current Intelligence Bulletin 48, Organic Solvent Neurotoxicity, NIOSH; Toxicity Studies of Ethylene Glycol Ethers, TOX–26, National Toxicology Program).
Xylene
Xylene is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. It is easily inhaled, and may also be absorbed through the skin. If you get xylene on your skin or clothing, you can contaminate others if they touch you or breathe in xylene that is released into the air.
Inhaling xylene can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Symptoms of xylene poisoning include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, excitement, tremor, heart arrhythmia, edema, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting and coma (Medical Management Guidelines for Xylene, ATSDR; ToxFAQs for Xylene, ATSDR).
Obtained mostly from crude petroleum, xylene is used as a degreaser and as a solvent in paints, inks, adhesives, varnishes and pesticides. You are likely to be exposed to xylene if you refinish furniture, work as a car mechanic, or are employed in the paint or printing industries. Consumers may come into contact with xylene if they use gasoline or varnish.
Chemicals in the Workplace
Your employer must let you know if you are working with any hazardous chemicals such as glycol ethers, toluene and xylene, and provide related safety training. You may ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for these products. An MSDS describes the chemical composition and health hazards of a product and explains how to take proper safety precautions.
The best way for your employer to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals is to substitute safer ones. This does not usually happen. Therefore, employers are generally required to install proper ventilation, hoods, and modify work procedures. You may also be supplied with respiratory protection, face shields, special clothing and gloves.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets maximum allowed exposure limits for most harmful chemicals used in the workplace. For example, for toluene and xylene, the limits are 100 ppm (parts per million) in air averaged for an 8–hour day over a 40–hour work. The 8–hour figures for some ethylene glycol ethers are: 25ppm for 2–methoxyethanol, 50 ppm for 2–butoxyethanol and 200 ppm for 2–ethoxyethanol.
Chemical Hazards and You
If you have suffered injuries from exposure to toluene, xylene or ethylene glycol ethers, please contact us to discuss your potential legal case. We have been successfully handling medical/legal litigation for over 20 years and are very knowledgeable in this field. We will review your case free of charge, answer your questions and advise you about your legal choices.