Even though<unk>  is the least toxic of the simple chlorohydrocarbons, it has serious health risks. Its high volatility makes it an acute inhalation hazard. It can also be absorbed through the skin. Symptoms of acute overexposure to<unk>  via inhalation include difficulty concentrating, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, numbness, weakness, and irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes. More severe consequences can include suffocation, loss of consciousness, coma, and death.<unk>  is also metabolized by the body to carbon monoxide potentially leading to carbon monoxide poisoning. Acute exposure by inhalation has resulted in optic neuropathy and hepatitis. Prolonged skin contact can result in<unk>  dissolving some of the fatty tissues in skin, resulting in skin irritation or chemical burns. It may be carcinogenic, as it has been linked to cancer of the lungs, liver, and pancreas in laboratory animals. Other animal studies showed breast cancer and salivary gland cancer. Research is not yet clear as to what levels may be carcinogenic.<unk>  crosses the placenta but fetal toxicity in women who are exposed to it during pregnancy has not been proven. In animal experiments, it was fetotoxic at doses that were maternally toxic but no teratogenic effects were seen. In people with pre-existing heart problems, exposure to<unk>  can cause abnormal heart rhythms and/or heart attacks, sometimes without any other symptoms of overexposure. People with existing liver, nervous system, or skin problems may worsen after exposure to methylene chloride. Regulation In many countries, products containing<unk>  must carry labels warning of its health risks. In February 2013, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warned that at least 14 bathtub refinishers have died since 2000 from<unk>  exposure. These workers had been working alone, in poorly ventilated bathrooms, with inadequate or no respiratory protection, and no training about the hazards of<unk> . OSHA has since then issued a<unk>  standard. In the European Union, the European Parliament voted in 2009 to ban the use of<unk>  in paint-strippers for consumers and many professionals. The ban took effect in December 2010. In Europe, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limit Values (SCOEL) recommends for<unk>  an occupational exposure limit (8 h time-weighted average) of 100 ppm and a short-term exposure limit (15 min) of 200 ppm. Concerns about its health effects have led to a search for alternatives in many of these applications. On March 15, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule to prohibit the manufacture (including importing and exporting), processing, and distribution of methylene chloride in all paint removers for consumer use, effective in 180 days however it does not affect other products containing methylene chloride including many consumer products not intended for paint removal .
Dichloromethane
Chloroethane
Ethanol
Trihalomethane
Perfluoroisobutene
Dichloroacetic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Bromomethane