Risk Evaluation for 1-Bromopropane (1-BP)
In July 2024, EPA proposed a risk management rule to address the unreasonable risk posed by 1-BP to human health. Learn more and submit a comment.
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for 1-bromopropane (1-BP), which amends the August 2020 risk evaluation for 1-BP under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The revisions to the risk determination were made in accordance with the path forward for the first 10 risk evaluations under TSCA laid out by EPA in June 2021.
The final revised risk determination is based on 1-BP as a whole chemical substance (rather than on individual conditions of use) and does not assume that workers exposed to 1-BP are always provided or appropriately wear personal protective equipment. The consideration of information on use of personal protective equipment, engineering controls, and other ways industry protects its workers as potential ways to address unreasonable risks will be part of the risk management process.
Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
Learn about risk management for 1-BP.
On this page:
- Background on 1-BP
- Uses of 1-BP
- Risk Evaluation of 1-BP under Amended TSCA
- Review of 1-BP Prior to Amended TSCA
Background on 1-BP
1-BP is used as a solvent in commercial and industrial applications and as a reactant in the manufacturing of other chemical substances.
Uses of 1-BP
Commercial and industrial uses of 1-BP include as a solvent in vapor degreasing, dry cleaning, spot cleaners, stain removers, adhesives, sealants, and automobile care products. Consumer uses include adhesives, degreasers, cleaners, and automobile care products.
Risk Evaluation of 1-BP under Amended TSCA
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for 1-BP. The final revised risk determination finds that 1-BP, as a whole chemical, presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under its conditions of use.
In the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA assessed the impact of 1-BP on workers, occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical), consumers, and bystanders to consumer use. The primary health risks identified in the risk evaluation are developmental toxicity from short-term and long-term inhalation and dermal exposure to the chemical and cancer from long-term inhalation and dermal exposure. After reviewing these data, EPA determined that risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk. Risk from 23 out of 25 conditions of use of 1-BP drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk to human health.
Two out of 25 conditions of use do not drive the unreasonable risk: the commercial and consumer use of 1-BP in insulation and building materials; and distribution in commerce.
In August 2020, EPA released the risk evaluation for 1-BP.
In August 2019, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for 1-BP for public comment and peer review.
In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for 1-BP which included the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expected to consider in its risk evaluation. In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for 1-BP which refined the scope of the risk evaluation by clarifying the chemical conditions of use that EPA expected to evaluate and describing how EPA expected to conduct the evaluation.
After releasing the scope documents for each of the first 10 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA, the dockets for each of these first 10 chemicals were open for public comments. Read EPA’s Responses to Public Comments Received on the Scope Documents for the First Ten Chemicals for Risk Evaluation under TSCA. This document addresses cross-cutting public comments received in response to the scope document.
Review of 1-BP Prior to Amended TSCA
Prior to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, EPA completed a draft risk assessment for 1-BP in 2016, addressing occupational and consumer uses in spray adhesives, dry-cleaning (including spot cleaners), and degreasing operations and published the following information.
- Draft Assessment
- Peer Review Plan
- Peer Review Charge Questions (Draft)
- Public Comments (Docket: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0084)
- Supplemental File 1: 1-BP Cancer Risk Estimates
- Supplemental File 2: 1-BP Non-Cancer MOE Risk Estimates
- Supplemental File 3: Consumer Exposure Calculations
- Model Averaging for Dichotomous Response Benchmark Dose (MADr-BMD) Tool