Government says 13 deaths tied to bath refinishing chemical

February 24, 2012

DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning Thursday about using a common paint-stripping chemical to refinish bathtubs after tying it to 13 deaths in 10 states.

The CDC said the alert was based on research that began at Michigan State University. Scientists found 13 deaths between 2000 and 2011 of workers using products containing methylene chloride to strip paint from residential bathtubs. Three of the deaths were in Michigan, and the remaining 10 were reported in nine other states.

Methylene chloride is widely used as a degreaser and paint remover in industrial and home-improvement products.

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