Q&A on the News

Q: In a recent AJC, there was a story about The Home Depot agreeing to ban toxins from its paint removers. W hat were these toxic compounds? Which products are these toxins found in?

A: Paint removal products containing methylene chlo- ride and N-Methylpyrroli- done (NMP) will be removed by the end of the year, The Home Depot announced earlier this month.

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, a national coali- tion, provided the following examples of products that contain methylene chloride or NMP:

■ Jasco Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover: methylene chloride

■ Klean-Strip Premium Color Change Stripper: meth- ylene chloride

■ Klean-Strip Premium Sprayable Stripper: methylene chloride

■ Klean-Strip Premium Stripper: methylene chloride

■ Klean-Strip Premium Stripper (aerosol): methylene chloride

■ Klean-Strip Strip-X Stripper: methylene chloride

■ Back To Nature ReadyStrip: Marine: NMP

■ Back to Nature ReadyStrip Plus: NMP

■ Back To Nature ReadyStrip (spray): NMP

■ Back To Nature UltraStrip: NMP

■ Citristrip Safer Paint & Varnish Stripper (aerosol): NMP

■ Citristrip Safer Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel: NMP

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families said it found the examples after searching The Home Depot’s website and reviewing each product’s Material Safety Data Sheet, which is prepared by the manufacturer and required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.