EPA Flags Health Risks in Rubber Chemical 1,3-Butadiene
Published Date: 1/5/2026
Notice
Summary
The EPA just released its final report showing that 1,3-butadiene, a chemical used in making plastics and rubber, can be risky to people’s health under certain conditions. Companies that make, use, or handle this chemical will soon face new rules to keep everyone safer. These changes could affect how businesses operate and might involve some costs, with risk management steps starting soon.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Workers face inhalation cancer and non‑cancer risks
EPA found that 1,3-butadiene presents unreasonable risk to human health driven by 11 specific conditions of use, with identified non-cancer and cancer risk to workers from inhalation exposure. The listed uses include manufacturing (domestic and importing), various processing activities (for example, as a reactant or monomer in polymerization), petroleum refineries, recycling, and disposal.
Businesses face upcoming TSCA rules
EPA has released a final risk evaluation finding that 1,3-butadiene poses an unreasonable risk and says it will initiate risk management and propose a regulatory action under TSCA section 6(a). If you manufacture, import, process, distribute, use, or dispose of 1,3-butadiene, EPA says it will focus rules on the conditions of use that drive the risk and will consider the economic consequences of any rule.
Risk evaluation covers only the monomer
The EPA risk evaluation covers only the monomer form of 1,3-butadiene, not the polymerized (polymeric) forms that some safety data sheets may also refer to as 1,3-butadiene. That means EPA's findings and the risk management actions it initiates are scoped to the monomer form.
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Key Dates
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