View Rule

EPA is developing a final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address the unreasonable risk of injury to human health presented by n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). NMP is a widely used solvent in a variety of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications including the manufacture and production of electronics such as semiconductors, polymers, petrochemical products, paints and coatings, and paint and coating removers. EPA determined that NMP presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health due to the significant adverse health effects associated with exposure to NMP, including developmental post-implantation fetal loss from short-term exposure and reduced fertility and fecundity from long-term exposure. Additional adverse effects associated with exposure to NMP include liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, skin irritation, and sensitization. TSCA requires that EPA address by rule any unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment identified in a TSCA risk evaluation and apply requirements to the extent necessary so the chemical no longer presents unreasonable risk. On June 14, 2024, EPA proposed requirements to: prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce and use of NMP in several occupational conditions of use; require worker protections through an NMP workplace chemical protection program (WCPP) or prescriptive controls (including concentration limits) for most of the occupational conditions of use; require concentration limits on a consumer product; regulate certain consumer products to prevent commercial use; and establish recordkeeping, labeling, and downstream notification requirements. The Agency’s development of this rule incorporated significant stakeholder outreach and public participation. EPA's 2020 final risk evaluation for NMP, describing its conditions of use is in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2019-0236, with the 2022 revised unreasonable risk determination and additional materials in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0743.