EPA Issues Draft TSCA Risk Evaluation for 1,3-Butadiene
Released December 2, 2024
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for public comment and announced peer review by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). In the draft risk evaluation, EPA preliminarily determined that 1,3-butadiene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health for workers and the general population (including fenceline communities) from inhalation exposure. 1,3-Butadiene is associated with health effects such as reduced birthweight pregnancies, blood and immune system disease, and leukemia.
1,3-Butadiene is a colorless, highly flammable gas with a mild odor similar to gasoline. 1,3-Butadiene is used in manufacturing various products, including plastic and rubber products (including tires). It’s also used in adhesives and sealants, fuels, automotive care products, lubricants, and paints and coatings. When it is manufactured or used to make products, 1,3-butadiene is mainly released into the air from facilities, with relatively small releases to land or water. People can also be exposed to 1,3-butadiene from vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, burning wood, and forest fires. In this draft risk evaluation, EPA evaluated risks resulting from exposure to 1,3-butadiene from facilities that use, manufacture, or process 1,3-butadiene under conditions of use subject to TSCA and the products resulting from such manufacture and processing.
EPA preliminarily determined that 1,3-butadiene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health for workers and the general population (including fenceline communities). Workers may be exposed to 1,3-butadiene when making these products or otherwise using 1,3-butadiene in the workplace. Activities like non-routine laboratory technician maintenance activities can also expose workers to 1,3-butadiene through inhalation, which significantly contributes to unreasonable risk. 1,3-Butadiene presents unreasonable risk to the general population, including fenceline communities, when 1,3-butadiene is released into the environment and people breathe it in.
The draft risk evaluation preliminarily shows that consumer uses do not significantly contribute to the unreasonable risk presented by 1,3-butadiene because reasonably available evidence suggests that 1,3-butadiene only exists at trace concentrations in consumer products and articles and is not expected to degrade and expose consumers. The draft risk evaluation also preliminarily shows that there is no unreasonable risk of injury to the environment.
Next Steps
Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, EPA will accept public comments on the draft risk evaluation for 60 days via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0425 on regulations.gov. The Agency’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) will also peer review the draft risk evaluation. EPA will use feedback received from the public and the SACC to inform the final risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene.
EPA will hold a virtual public meeting for the SACC to discuss the draft risk evaluation and public comments from February 25-28, 2025. Additionally, EPA will hold a preparatory virtual public meeting on February 4, 2025, for the SACC and the public to consider and ask questions regarding the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions.
Registration instructions for the meeting will be announced on the SACC website in early 2025, including information about how to register to present oral comments during the meeting. For additional information on the SACC peer review, please see the Federal Register notice or contact the Designated Federal Official, Alie Muneer at [email protected].
For additional information on the draft risk evaluation, please see the Federal Register notice or contact Brooke Porter at [email protected].
Read the draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene.
Additional Information
- Conditions of Use that Preliminarily Significantly Contribute to the Unreasonable Risk
- Manufacture (including domestic manufacture and import)
- Processing – processing as a reactant – intermediate (adhesive manufacturing; all other basic organic chemical manufacturing; fuel binder for solid rocket fuels; organic fiber manufacturing; petrochemical manufacturing; petroleum refineries; plastic material and resin manufacturing; propellant manufacturing; synthetic rubber manufacturing; paint and coating manufacturing; wholesale and retail trade)
- Processing – processing as a reactant – monomer used in polymerization process (synthetic 356 rubber manufacturing; plastic material and resin manufacturing); Processing – incorporation into formulation, mixture, or reaction product – processing aids, not otherwise listed (petrochemical manufacturing; monomers used in: plastic product manufacturing; synthetic rubber manufacturing)
- Processing – incorporation into formulation, mixture, or reaction product – other (adhesive manufacturing, paint and coating manufacturing, petroleum lubricating oil and grease manufacturing, and all other chemical product and preparation manufacturing)
- Processing – incorporation into article – other (polymer in: rubber and plastic product manufacturing)
- Processing – repackaging – intermediate (wholesale and retail trade; monomer in: synthetic rubber manufacturing);
- Processing – recycling
- Commercial use –laboratory chemicals
- Disposal
Conditions of Use that Preliminary Do Not Significantly Contribute to the Unreasonable Risk
- Industrial use – adhesives and sealants, including epoxy resins
- Commercial use – fuels and related products
- Commercial use – other articles with routine direct contact during normal use including rubber articles; plastic articles (hard)
- Commercial use – toys intended for children’s use (and child dedicated articles), including fabrics, textiles, and apparel; or plastic articles (hard)
- Commercial use – synthetic rubber (e.g., rubber tires)
- Commercial use – furniture & furnishings including stone, plaster, cement, glass and ceramic articles; metal articles; or rubber articles
- Commercial use – packaging (excluding food packaging), including rubber articles; plastic articles (hard); plastic articles (soft)
- Commercial use – automotive care products
- Commercial use – lubricants and lubricant additives, including viscosity modifier
- Commercial use – paints and coatings, including aerosol spray paint
- Commercial use – adhesives and sealants, including epoxy resins
- Consumer use – other articles with routine direct contact during normal use including rubber articles; plastic articles (hard)
- Consumer use – toys intended for children's use (and child dedicated articles), including fabrics, textiles, and apparel; or plastic articles (hard)
- Consumer use – synthetic rubber (e.g., rubber tires)
- Consumer use – furniture & furnishings including stone, plaster, cement, glass and ceramic articles; metal articles; or rubber articles
- Consumer use – packaging (excluding food packaging), including rubber articles; plastic articles (hard); plastic articles (soft)
- Distribution in commerce