A common chemical found in many products at the D-I-Y and home improvement store can be a killer. Thirteen people have died recently after using a bathtub application that contains methylene chloride, usually found in paint and furniture strippers.
Researchers who investigated the deaths say it is almost impossible to use products containing the chemical for home D-I-Y jobs because there is likely to be insufficient ventilation, especially in an enclosed space such as a bathroom.
All of the deaths involved people using a bathtub refinisher that contained the chemical. The researchers from Michigan State University say the chemical is usually found in degreasers and paint and furniture strippers, and is the first time they have seen it in bathtub products. They say that all products need to be clearly labelled that they contain methylene chloride, including safe usage.
(Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 24 February 2012; 61: 119-22).
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