Solvents

For manufacturers, solvents are subject to a variety of federal and state regulations, including regulations that govern the industrial storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, workplace exposure limits, requirements for safe transport of chemical substances, and regulations pertaining to release of chemicals to air, land and water.

For consumers using personal care products that either are themselves solvents, such as nail polish removers, or products that contain solvents, such as paint, consult the manufacturer’s instructions for safe use. For “do-it-yourself” (DYI) projects, it is important for individuals working with “stronger” solvents, such as paint strippers or stronger cleaning products, to closely follow manufacturer’s instructions for the product’s safe use.

Federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish health and safety information on individual solvents.

• FDA recently developed a list, which makes recommendations as to what amounts of residual solvents are considered by the Agency to be safe in pharmaceuticals.
• Perchloroethylene, or perc, is the predominant chemical solvent used in dry cleaning. It is an effective cleaning solvent and is used by most professional dry cleaners because it removes stains and dirt from all common types of fabrics. EPA does not believe that dry cleaning clothes with perc will result in an increased risk of adverse health effects for people.
• The American Chemistry Council has published a flyer outlining “Dos and Don’ts” for the safe use of solvents.
• Some general principles and considerations that help to minimize flammability concerns related to hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvents are included in the following guidance document.

Tested, Effective, Affordable

Hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvents have been in widespread use for more than 50 years and the subject of extensive health and environmental effects studies that examine the effects of exposure to solvent vapors. It should be noted that in some cases, people use solvents directly (e.g., nail polish remover); in other cases, the solvent is part of another product (e.g., paint), and in other cases, the solvent is used in the manufacturing process to make a product, but completely “used up” in the manufacturing process. When using a solvent directly, consult the manufacturer’s instructions for safe use.

Various solvents are extremely effective in select purposes, such as in pharmaceutical development. In producing penicillin, for example, the solvent keeps the impurities in the solution so the penicillin is selectively removed from the reaction mixture by extraction. In some inks, the solvent effectively evaporates quickly enough to prevent smudging and provides a cost-effective, high performing way to print magazines or labels using vivid colors. In nail polish, the purpose of the solvent is to dissolve and help mix the other ingredients together evenly, and then evaporate as the nail polish dries, creating a smooth, consistent surface. Fingernail polish remover also is a solvent that functions for this particular use – to break down the ingredients in the polish.