PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 STODDARD SOLVENT 

 CAS#: 8052-41-3 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Stoddard 

Solvent. It is one in a series of Public Health 

Statements about hazardous substances and their 

health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is 

also available. This information is important 

because this substance may harm you. The effects 

of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on 

the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, 

personal traits and habits, and whether other 

chemicals are present. For more information, call 

the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

 ________________________________________ 

This Statement was prepared to give you 

information about Stoddard solvent and to 

emphasize the human health effects that may result 

from exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 

identified 1,397 sites on its "National Priorities 

List" (NPL). Stoddard solvent has been found in at 

least seven of these sites. However, we do not 

know how many of the 1,397 NPL sites have been 

evaluated for Stoddard solvent. As EPA evaluates 

more sites, the number of sites at which Stoddard 

solvent is found may change. This information is 

important for you to know because Stoddard solvent 

may cause harmful health effects and because these 

sites are potential or actual sources of human 

exposure to Stoddard solvent. 

When a chemical is released from a large area, such 

as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a 

drum or bottle, it enters the environment as a 

chemical emission. This emission, which is also 

called a release, does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a chemical only when you 

come into contact with the chemical. You may be 

exposed to it in the environment by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing the 

chemical or by skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to a hazardous chemical such as 

Stoddard solvent, several factors will determine 

whether harmful health effects will occur and what 

the type and severity of those health effects will be. 

These factors include the dose (how much), the 

duration (how long), the route or pathway by which 

you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin 

contact), the other chemicals to which you are 

exposed, and your individual characteristics such as 

age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, life-style, 

and state of health. 

 

1.1 WHAT IS STODDARD SOLVENT? 

Stoddard solvent is a widely used, man-made 

organic solvent that comes from the refining of 

crude oil. It is a petroleum mixture made from 

distilled alkanes, cycloalkanes (naphthenes), and 

aromatic compounds. The chemicals in Stoddard 

solvent are similar to those in white spirits, which 

are also discussed in this profile. Stoddard solvent 

is commonly referred to as dry cleaning safety 

solvent, naphtha safety solvent, petroleum solvent, 

PD-680, varnoline, and spotting naphtha. It also 

goes by the registered trade names Texsolve S and 

Varsol 1. Stoddard solvent is used as a paint 

thinner, as a solvent in some types of photocopier 

toners, in some types of printing inks, in some 

adhesives, as a dry cleaning solvent, and as a 

general cleaner and degreaser. It is produced and 

used as a colorless, flammable liquid but will turn 

into a vapor (gas) at temperatures ranging from 

150–200°C. Stoddard solvent smells and tastes like 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 STODDARD SOLVENT 

 CAS#: 8052-41-3 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

kerosene. You can smell it when the level in the air 

is about 0.34 parts of Stoddard solvent in a million 

parts of air (ppm) or 2 milligrams of Stoddard 

solvent per cubic meter of air (mg/m3). 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO STODDARD 

SOLVENT WHEN IT ENTERS THE 

ENVIRONMENT? 

Stoddard solvent is a mixture of many chemicals. 

Some of these evaporate into the air when Stoddard 

solvent spills onto soils or surface waters. These 

chemicals may be broken down by sunlight or by 

other chemicals in the air. Also, some of these 

chemicals may sorb (attach) to organic matter. 

Stoddard solvent itself does not dissolve well in 

water, but some of the chemicals in it do dissolve 

when it spills on surface water or when it leaks from 

underground storage tanks. Some of the chemicals 

in Stoddard solvent can attach to particles in soil or 

water and, in water, may sink down to the sediment. 

In water, soil, or sediment, microorganisms may 

break down the chemicals (a process known as 

biodegradation). Although some of the chemicals 

that make up Stoddard solvent can attach to organic 

matter in the soil, if a large amount of Stoddard 

solvent contaminates the soil, it will move through 

the soil into groundwater. It is not known whether 

Stoddard solvent will accumulate in plants or 

animals living in contaminated soil or water, or in 

animals eating contaminated plants or sediments. 

However, some of the chemicals that make up the 

Stoddard solvent mixture might accumulate in these 

situations, depending upon the type of chemical. 

Generally, smaller alkanes do not tend to 

bioaccumulate, while aromatics and larger alkanes, 

including some cycloalkanes, tend to 

bioaccumulate. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

STODDARD SOLVENT? 

You are most likely to be exposed to Stoddard 

solvent if you use a product, such as paint or a paint 

thinner, that contains it and the vapors get in your 

lungs or eyes. If you work in an industry that uses 

or produces dry cleaning fluid, paints, coatings, 

waxes, or equipment cleaning fluid with Stoddard 

solvent in it, you may breathe in some of the 

components of Stoddard solvent that evaporate into 

the air. You may be exposed to Stoddard solvent if 

you breathe air that contains Stoddard solvent after 

it has entered the atmosphere from a dry cleaning 

plant or spilled or leaked onto soils or surface water. 

When it is spilled, the different components that 

make up Stoddard solvent will react differently in 

the different media of the environment (for 

example, in soil, water, or air). So, if you become 

exposed, you are no longer being exposed to a 

single compound called Stoddard solvent but rather 

to its components. You would only breathe the 

components that evaporate into the air. If Stoddard 

solvent has contaminated groundwater, you may be 

exposed if you drink this water or use it for bathing 

or washing. If you use products that contain 

Stoddard solvent and do not wear protective 

clothing, you may be exposed if it gets on your skin. 

Humans may be exposed to Stoddard solvent near 

hazardous waste sites, but it is not known how 

many are being exposed. It is unclear what routes 

of exposure are most significant at hazardous waste 

sites. It is likely that you might be exposed to 

Stoddard solvent near a hazardous waste site by 

breathing it in the air. Although some compounds 

in Stoddard solvent evaporate quickly, you may be 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 STODDARD SOLVENT 

 CAS#: 8052-41-3 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

continually exposed near hazardous waste sites if 

the material is leaking from buried or above-ground 

drums or is slowly moving through the soil and 

seeping through the walls of the basement of a 

building. If Stoddard solvent is buried in leaky 

drums at hazardous waste sites, you may also be 

exposed if you touch contaminated soil or if you 

drink contaminated groundwater. 

 

1.4 HOW CAN STODDARD SOLVENT 

ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

Stoddard solvent can enter your body if you breathe 

air containing it. When you breathe in Stoddard 

solvent, it can quickly enter your bloodstream. The 

chemical components that make up Stoddard 

solvent will then be absorbed by different tissues in 

your body. It may also enter the brain, and a large 

portion may be stored in body fat. Stoddard solvent 

can also enter your body if you come into contact 

with water that is contaminated with it. However, 

we do not know where the components of Stoddard 

solvent go once in the body after contact with your 

skin or after drinking contaminated groundwater. 

Animal studies have shown that these components 

can enter tissues and the brain, as is the case with 

Stoddard solvent when it is breathed in, but no 

human studies have been located to verify this. 

Components of white spirits have been found, 

however, in human blood and body fat after people 

breathed it. We also do not know exactly how the 

mixture or its components leave the body and how 

quickly this happens. Some components or 

breakdown products probably leave in the breath 

and urine within a few days after exposure. 

 

1.5 HOW CAN STODDARD SOLVENT 

AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

Most of the information on how Stoddard solvent 

affects human health comes from studies where 

exposure is through breathing, with fewer studies 

available on exposure to the eyes and skin. When 

Stoddard solvent is in the air, it can cause eye, skin, 

or throat irritation. If you were to breath in air 

containing Stoddard solvent, it could affect your 

nervous system and might cause dizziness or 

headaches. Another way that it can affect your 

nervous system is by causing a prolonged reaction 

time. There are few studies of the long-term effects 

of exposure to Stoddard solvent alone in humans. 

In experiments with rats, cats, and dogs (to suggest 

what may happen in humans), seizures were 

reported after they breathed in large amounts for 

several hours. Stoddard solvent can also cause 

bronchitis in guinea pigs when they breathe it. 

However, Stoddard solvent has not had these effects 

in the few known cases of human exposure. 

Studies with rats show that Stoddard solvent may 

also cause kidney damage, but only in males. This 

is because of its interaction with a protein that male 

rats produce but which is not found in female rats. 

Humans do not produce this protein either, so it is 

unlikely that people would experience kidney 

damage. For the following effects in humans or 

animals, either there were no studies or the 

available studies did not associate the effect with 

exposure to Stoddard solvent: birth defects, 

reproductive effects (infertility), and immunological 

or lymphoreticular effects. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 STODDARD SOLVENT 

 CAS#: 8052-41-3 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

Very few studies have been located that study the 

carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects of Stoddard 

solvent in humans and animals. Stoddard solvent 

has not been classified by the Department of Health 

and Human Services (DHHS), EPA, or the 

International Agency for Research on Cancer 

(IARC) (or by any other national or international 

agencies) for carcinogenic effects in any exposure 

situation. 

Little is known about the health effects of Stoddard 

solvent in humans or animals when it is ingested 

(swallowed); no studies have been found. 

 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO STODDARD SOLVENT? 

There is no routinely used test to show whether you 

have been exposed to Stoddard solvent. However, 

Stoddard solvent is a mixture of many chemicals, 

and for most of them there are analytical methods to 

determine whether exposure has occurred. These 

chemicals can be detected in your breath, blood, 

urine, and fat. However, the tests cannot tell you if 

you have been exposed to the specific mixture of 

chemicals found in Stoddard solvent. These 

methods also cannot tell you whether you will have 

any health effects. It is unclear how long after 

exposure to Stoddard solvent a test would be useful. 

Because Stoddard solvent can be stored in fat, any 

resulting health effects may continue for a few days 

after exposure. 

 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The government has developed regulations and 

guidelines for Stoddard solvent that are designed to 

protect the public from potential harmful health 

effects. Several states have set their own 

regulations or guidelines for Stoddard solvent 

concentrations in water and in ambient 

(surrounding) air. The Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration (OSHA) regulates levels of 

hazardous material in the workplace. The 

maximum allowable amount of Stoddard solvent in 

workroom air during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour 

workweek, is 2,900 mg/m3 or 500 ppm. The 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH) recommends a limit of 350 mg/m3 

or 60 ppm for workroom air for an 8-hour exposure. 

The Department of Transportation has identified 

Stoddard solvent as a hazardous substance and 

regulates its packaging, shipping, and 

transportation. Some states have transportation 

regulations for Stoddard solvent. 

 

1.8 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 STODDARD SOLVENT 

 CAS#: 8052-41-3 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for Stoddard 

solvent. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Public Health Service.