ToxFAQs ToxFAQs
CAS# 8052-41-3
September 1996
| Stoddard Solvent There is no molecular representation since this substance is a mixture of many compounds. |
  NFPA Label Key |
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about Stoddard solvent. For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-447-1544. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
| SUMMARY: Exposure to Stoddard solvent occurs mainly in the workplace. People who breathe Stoddard solvent can experience headaches; dizziness; and eye, skin, or throat irritation. This substance has been found in at least 7 of the 1,430 National Priorities List Sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). |
What is Stoddard solvent?
(Pronounced stod'ard sol'vent)
Stoddard solvent is a colorless, flammable liquid that smells and tastes like kerosene. It will turn into a vapor at temperatures of 150–200 ° C.
Stoddard solvent is a petroleum mixture that is also known as dry cleaning safety solvent, petroleum solvent, and varnoline; its registered trade names are Texsolve S® and Varsol 1®. It is a chemical mixture that is similar to white spirits.
Stoddard solvent is used as a paint thinner; in some types of photocopier toners, printing inks, and adhesives; as a dry cleaning solvent; and as a general cleaner and degreaser.
Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
What happens to Stoddard solvent when it enters the environment?
Because Stoddard solvent is a mixture of many chemicals, these chemicals may react differently in the environment. Some of these chemicals can:
It is not known whether Stoddard solvent will build up in plants or animals living in contaminated soil or water, but some of the chemicals that make up Stoddard solvent might build up in these situations.
How might I be exposed to Stoddard solvent?
How can Stoddard solvent affect my health?
Animal testing is sometimes necessary to find out how toxic substances might harm people or to treat those who have been exposed. Laws today protect the welfare of research animals and scientists must follow strict guidelines.
Most of the information on the health effects of Stoddard solvent comes from studies in which it is breathed; there are fewer studies of exposure to the eyes or skin.
Exposure to Stoddard solvent in the air can affect your nervous system and cause dizziness, headaches, or a prolonged reaction time. It can also cause eye, skin, or throat irritation.
Rats, cats, and dogs that breathed in large amounts of Stoddard solvent for several hours suffered seizures. Breathing Stoddard solvent has caused bronchitis in guinea pigs, but neither seizures nor bronchitis has been reported when humans breathed it. The effects of swallowing Stoddard solvent are not known.
It is not known whether Stoddard solvent can cause birth defects or affect reproduction.
How likely is Stoddard solvent to cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that Stoddard solvent is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.
Very few studies have been located that study the carcinogenic effects of Stoddard solvent in humans or animals.
Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to Stoddard solvent?
There is no routinely used test to show whether you have been exposed to Stoddard solvent. Because Stoddard solvent is a mixture of many chemicals, some of these chemicals can be detected in your breath, blood, urine, and fat. However, the tests cannot tell you if you have been exposed to the specific mixture of chemicals found in Stoddard solvent. They also cannot tell whether you will suffer any health effects.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a maximum exposure limit of 500 parts of Stoddard solvent per 1 million parts of air (500 ppm) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that the average workplace air levels not be more than 60 ppm in workplace air for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
Glossary
Reference
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for Stoddard solvent. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
For more information, contact
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services
Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ALL CHEMICAL PRODUCTS MAY BE HAZARDOUS IF IMPROPERLY USED, HANDLED OR STORED. ALWAYS ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE CONSULTED THE LATEST MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) FOR ANY CHEMICAL PRODUCT BEFORE USING, HANDLING OR STORING A CHEMICAL PRODUCT, AND THAT YOU ARE WEARING AND USING ALL APPROPRIATE SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
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PERSONNEL AND IS TRUE AND ACCURATE TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE.
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STABILITY OR OTHERWISE.
THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ALL-INCLUSIVE AS THE
MANNER AND CONDITIONS OF USE, HANDLING, STORAGE AND OTHER FACTORS MAY INVOLVE
OTHER OR ADDITIONAL SAFETY OR
PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. WHILE OUR TECHNICAL PERSONNEL WILL BE
HAPPY TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS REGARDING SAFE HANDLING AND USE PROCEDURES, SAFE
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USE ARE INTENDED AS, AND NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS, A RECOMMENDATION
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