Be careful with that next bathroom remodel; experts warn the job could be deadly. Researchers reported several fatalities from exposure to chemicals used in bathtub refinishing, and are alerting the public to the dangers.
A recent report from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the deaths of at least 13 people have been linked to a highly volatile toxic solvent—methylene chloride. The chemical is used in industrial settings, but is also found in many over-the-counter products sold at home improvement stores, and over the Internet.
An investigation into the chemically connected fatalities began last year, when researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) started looking into the 2010 death of a bathtub refinisher who was using a paint-stripping product marketed for aircraft maintenance.
As they dug deeper, MSU researchers identified another two similar deaths in Michigan and notified federal authorities. When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) entered the investigation, they discovered another 10 bathtub refinisher fatalities across the country associated with several methylene chloride stripping agents over the last decade.
Investigators say that there may be many more deaths connected with methylene chloride, as national databases do not include self-employed workers or do-it-yourselfers. They suggest that these overlooked cases might have been attributed to heart disease when they were actually caused by methylene chloride exposure.
