The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that exposure to the industrial chemical 1,3-butadiene poses potential unreasonable health risks to workers in certain job settings, while finding no such risks to the general public, consumers, or the environment.
In a court-ordered review released on Wednesday, the EPA said workers who inhale 1,3-butadiene in 11 specific industrial settings may face elevated health risks, including cancer.
The agency said the use of personal protective equipment commonly employed in industrial workplaces can help reduce those risks.
The EPA did not identify unreasonable risks for people living near facilities, consumers using products containing the chemical, or the broader environment.
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the agency will begin developing regulations to address the workplace risks identified in the review.
The EPA said the rulemaking process will consider health impacts, exposure levels, economic effects, and benefits and will seek input from industry, workers, and other stakeholders.
The evaluation took six years and reviewed roughly 20,000 scientific studies across 30 uses of the chemical.
The agency also updated its cancer risk estimates based on peer review recommendations.
The chemical 1,3-butadiene is a colorless gas widely used to manufacture tires, adhesives, paint, and other products.
The EPA said consumer products contain only trace amounts well below levels of concern, while higher exposures in industrial environments can increase risks of health effects such as leukemia, bladder cancer, anemia, and reduced birth weight.
EPA said the forthcoming rules aim to provide regulatory certainty for companies while strengthening protection for workers exposed to the chemical.
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