Paint- stripping agent linked to 13 U. S. deaths in bathrooms

U. S. federal health officials on Friday warned of serious hazards for workers and consumers using a common paint stripping agent for bathtub refinishing after linking the chemicals to 13 U. S. deaths over the past decade.

The 13 bathtub refinisher deaths were tracked across 10 states from 2000- 2011 and each fatality happened in a residential bathroom lacking adequate ventilation, according to a weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ten products that were marketed for use in the aircraft industry or on wood, metal, glass and masonry — but not for bathtub refinishing — were linked to the deaths, it said. Methylene chloride is a highly volatile, colourless, toxic chemical that is commonly used as a degreaser and paint remover and absorbed primarily by inhaling the vapours. The vapour has already been noted as potentially fatal to furniture strippers and factory workers, but had not previously been linked to bathtub refinishers.

Products containing the chemical are typically applied by using a paint brush or aerosol spray and help bathtub coating pucker to be more easily scraped away, the CDC said.

Products containing the chemical are readily available, it said, putting both professional bath refinishers and consumers taking on do- it- yourself projects at risk.

The report recommended alternative bathtub stripping methods such as sanding, or chemicals including acetate, mineral spirits and caustic paste.