E.P.A. Moves to Limit Toxic Chemical Used in Hundreds of Products

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed limits on the use of N-Methylpyrrolidone, a solvent in many products used by both consumers and workers, ranging from arts and crafts supplies to paint remover, that is linked to serious health effects.

The chemical, also known as NMP, is used to make semiconductors and lithium ion batteries, and is also found in plastics, paints and consumer cleaning products. It has been found to cause miscarriages, reduced male fertility and damage to the liver, kidneys and immune and nervous systems.

If finalized, the E.P.A.’s rule would ban some commercial uses of NMP, such as in automotive and cleaning products, and limit the concentration of NMP allowed in some consumer products, such as glue. It would also establish safeguards, including requirements for protective equipment, for workers exposed to NMP.

“We’re making great strides in our efforts to protect people’s health from exposure to chemicals like NMP,” said Michal Freedhoff, the E.P.A.’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Our proposed common-sense worker protections would keep people safe while also ensuring that NMP could continue to be used, as needed.”

The proposed NMP rule is part of a stream of constraints on harmful substances imposed by the Biden administration. The government recently banned the only type of asbestos that had still been in use in the United States, and it has placed limits on the use of methylene chloride, a toxic chemical found in paint strippers, adhesives, metal cleaners and aerosol solvents.

They are the first chemical regulations to emerge from a law passed in 2016, when Congress overhauled the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act by requiring the testing and regulation of thousands of chemicals used in everyday products.