Solvents & Exposure Concerns

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes solvents as substances that are capable of dissolving or dispersing one or more other substances. Most solvents are liquids, but they can also be a solid or a gas.
Tox Town, hosted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, states that the term solvent usually refers to organic solvents, which contain carbon. Organic solvents can be classified into three main types:
• Oxygenated solvents
• Hydrocarbon solvents
• Halogenated solvents
Oxygenated solvents contain oxygen and are synthesized from other chemicals. Hydrocarbon solvents contain hydrogen and are derived mainly from petroleum. Halogenated solvents contain one or more of the halogen elements: chlorine, bromine, fluorine or iodine. Most halogenated solvents contain chlorine and are then called chlorinated solvents.
People can be exposed to solvents by breathing them, absorbing them through the skin or by swallowing them. In the home, people can be exposed to solvents by using cleaning products, personal care products, nail polish remover, paints, glues, adhesives and other household products containing solvents. Children exposed to high levels of solvents at home may suffer from asthma.
In the work environment, people can be exposed to solvents if their work involves dip cleaning, vapor degreasing, manufacturing that uses glues and adhesives, paint stripping, fueling, transferring flammable solvents, painting, offset printing, dry cleaning, installing carpets, and cleaning electronics, automotive parts, engines and circuit boards. Workers may also be exposed if they are involved with manufacturing soap, printed circuit boards, semiconductors, personal care products, pharmaceuticals or textiles among other occupations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that millions of workers are exposed to solvents on a daily basis. The agency also states that health hazards associated with solvent exposure include toxicity to the nervous system, reproductive damage, liver and kidney damage, respiratory impairment, cancer and dermatitis.
Tox Town states that exposure to a massive amount of solvents can cause sudden death and that prolonged exposure can cause blindness, irregular heartbeat, and damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs and central nervous system.
These are just a few things to know about potential solvent exposure concerns. To learn more about this or other occupational, environmental, air quality, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. www.emsl.com
LA Testing www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental www.zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine www.iaq.net
VOETS - Verification, Operations and Environmental Testing Services www.voets.nyc

[@stephenfiore9960]

*....was looking for video to describe effects of mineral spirits on forearms. It seem to be burning and a tingling feeling on my arm...*

[@dinosaur5726]

Hi Paul!! I hope you can help me with my question, I started a amazing Prosthetic's Polymer job last week but everyday I was sick from the solvent thinner we used on everything, please can you tell me if you feel really unwell with it while working but then when you get to fresh air you're ok, is this normal? The ventilation system isn't brilliant and I was trying to wear a mask, but by Friday I went to hospital and they didn't say anything was wrong but I had severe fatigue from breathing it in for the 36hrs that first week. Now I need to call back on Monday and tell them I will go back, now is the weekend and im feeling waves of nausea and sometimes the fatigue comes on strong and then goes, I don't know what is happening, but i'm actually leaning more towards not going back due to feeling so unwell in there. You're answer will help me if its today or tomorrow. Thankyou :)

[@Scnottaken]

I'm sorry the video or the poster wasn't more helpful. I'll try to answer extremely late, but maybe it'll help others that come across this.
Most all harmful solvents have permissible exposure limits under OSHA, and most masks, except those specially designed for organic solvent vapors are ineffective for protection against solvent exposure. If you or anyone suspects you're being exposed to a level higher than the PEL, you can call OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

@@Scnottaken Hi, what can I use to dissolve tetra ethylene pentamine In A fuel pump plastic screen strainer? Some kind of thinner or halogenated solvent like chlorinated paraffins?

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

@@Scnottaken Hi, what can I use to dissolve tetra ethylene pentamine In A fuel pump plastic screen strainer? Some kind of thinner or halogenated solvent like chlorinated paraffins?

[@Scnottaken]

@@tomasnokechtesledger1786 TEPA is actually quite polar. Polar solvents like methanol or even water will work.

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

@@Scnottaken I tried a little hydrated Ethanol 92GL with gas resulting in E30 and still has a hard coat of oxidized TEPA all over the screen. Methanol in fuel is hard to find here in ethanol city. Water I could use but have to disassemble the fuel sending unit. Keep doing ethanol, though? Thank you for your input.

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

Hi, what can I use to dissolve tetra ethylene pentamine In A fuel pump plastic screen strainer? Some kind of thinner or halogenated solvent like chlorinated paraffins?

[@dcfarman]

Petroleum solvent samel remove

[@nickrapeta1908]

First!