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  2. Assessing and Managing Chemicals under TSCA

Risk Evaluation for 1,3-Butadiene

General Information for 1,3-Butadiene

Chemical Group: N/A

CASRN: 106-99-0

Risk Evaluation Initiated: December 2019

Docket: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0451, EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0425

Staff Contact: Brooke Porter
Porter.Brooke@epa.gov
(202) 564-6388

In December 2024, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene for public comment and peer review. EPA designated 1,3-butadiene as a high priority chemical in December 2019 and the chemical is currently undergoing risk evaluation.

Find other information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA. 

On this page:

  • Risk Evaluation Findings
  • Background on 1,3-Butadiene
  • Uses of 1,3-Butadiene
  • Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment
  • Draft Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

Risk Evaluation Findings

EPA’s draft risk evaluation preliminarily shows that 1,3-butadiene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health for workers and the general population (including fenceline communities) from inhalation exposure. 1,3-Butadiene is associated with health effects such as reduced birthweight pregnancies, blood and immune system disease, and leukemia.

EPA preliminarily determined that 1,3-butadiene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health for workers and the general population (including fenceline communities). Workers may be exposed to 1,3-butadiene when making products or otherwise using 1,3-butadiene in the workplace. Activities like non-routine laboratory technician maintenance activities can also expose workers to 1,3-butadiene through inhalation, which significantly contributes to unreasonable risk. 1,3-Butadiene presents unreasonable risk to the general population, including fenceline communities, when 1,3-butadiene is released into the environment and people breathe it in.

The draft risk evaluation preliminarily shows that consumer uses do not significantly contribute to the unreasonable risk presented by 1,3-butadiene because reasonably available evidence suggests that 1,3-butadiene only exists at trace concentrations in consumer products and articles and is not expected to degrade and expose consumers. The draft risk evaluation also preliminarily shows that there is no unreasonable risk of injury to the environment. 

Background on 1,3-Butadiene

1,3-Butadiene (CASRN 106-99-0) is a colorless gas with a mild odor similar to gasoline, and it is highly flammable. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) for 1,3-butadiene indicates the reported production volume is between 1 and 5 billion lbs/year (manufacture and import).

Uses of 1,3-Butadiene

In the final scope, EPA identified conditions of use associated with the manufacturing (including importing); processing; distribution in commerce; industrial, commercial and consumer uses; and disposal of 1,3-butadiene, for example:

  • As an intermediate in the manufacturing of adhesive, synthetic rubber, organic fiber, plastic material and resin, paints and coatings, and other chemical product and preparation manufacturing;
  • As an intermediate in the manufacturing of petroleum, petrochemical, and solid rocket fuels;
  • In adhesives and sealants;
  • In fuels and related products;
  • As a laboratory chemical;
  • In automotive care products;
  • In lubricants and lubricant additives;
  • In paints and coatings; and
  • In plastic and rubber products (including rubber tires).

The above listed conditions of use are ways that a person or the environment could be potentially exposed to this chemical. However, when conducting a risk evaluation, EPA also considers the hazards (i.e. health effects or environmental impacts) that could occur from coming in contact with a chemical.

Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment

In December 2024, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene public comment and peer review. In March 2025, EPA released a supplement to the risk evaluation describing a preliminary refinement of cancer risk estimates from exposure to 1,3-butadiene in air from releasing facilities. These refined facility specific risk estimates provide important updated estimates for incorporation into the risk evaluation.  

The current comment period is set to close on March 5, 2025. EPA is extending the comment period for an additional 15 days. Comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0425 at regulations.gov until March 20, 2025. In order to give the peer reviewers on the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) time to review any additional comments received, EPA rescheduled the February 4, 2025, virtual preparatory meeting to March 25, 2025, and the February peer review virtual meeting to April 1-4, 2025. View the SACC website for more information on these meetings, including the registration links and information about how to provide oral comments during the meetings. 

In August 2020, EPA published a final scope document outlining the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the agency expects to consider in its risk evaluation. The agency released the draft scope in April 2020 and took public comments on the draft document.

  • Read the final scope of the risk evaluation for this chemical and EPA’s response to comments on the draft scope.
  • View the docket for this chemical, EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0451 on www.regulations.gov.

As EPA continues to move through the risk evaluation process there will be additional opportunities for public comment, including a public comment period on the draft risk evaluation. In addition to public comment periods, EPA will continue to engage with stakeholders as it refines the risk evaluation and stakeholders should reach out to EPA via the staff contact to engage with EPA.

Draft Risk Evaluation and Supporting Documents

Read the Federal Register notice.

  • Draft Risk Evaluation for 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (4.06 MB)
  • Draft Charge Questions to the SACC for 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (164.73 KB)
  • Draft Physical Chemistry, Fate, and Transport Assessment for 1,3-Butadiene - Technical Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (1.15 MB)
  • Draft Environmental Release and Occupational Exposure Assessment for 1,3-Butadiene - Technical Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (3.52 MB)
  • Draft Environmental Media Concentrations for 1,3-Butadiene - Technical Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (1.18 MB)
  • Draft General Population Exposure for 1,3-Butadiene - Technical Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (1.5 MB)
  • Draft Human Health Hazard Assessment for 1,3-Butadiene - Technical Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (2.92 MB)
  • Draft Systematic Review Protocol for 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (1.75 MB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation and Data Extraction Information for Physical and Chemical Properties for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (736.07 KB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation and Data Extraction Information for Environmental Fate and Transport for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (387.69 KB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation and Data Extraction Information for Environmental Release and Occupational Exposure for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (2.49 MB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation Information for General Population, Consumer, and Environmental Exposure for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (520.68 KB)
  • Data Extraction Information for General Population, Consumer, and Environmental Exposure for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (174.76 KB)
  • Further Filtering Results for Human Health Hazard Animal Toxicology and Epidemiology for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (221.49 KB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation Information for Human Health Hazard Epidemiology for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (616.29 KB)
  • Data Quality Evaluation Information for Human Health Hazard Animal Toxicology for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (621.32 KB)
  • Data Extraction Information for Human Health Hazard Animal Toxicology and Epidemiology for 1,3-Butadiene - Systematic Review Support Document for the Draft Risk Evaluation (pdf) (572.39 KB)
  • Draft EPI Suite Modeling Results Supporting Fate Assessment for 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (113.15 KB)
  • Draft Ambient Monitoring Technology Information Center (AMTIC) Monitoring Data 2016 to 2021 for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (163.92 MB)
  • Draft Water Quality Portal (WQP) Monitoring Data 2011 to 2023 for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (15.22 MB)
  • Draft Land Releases for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (4.4 MB)
  • Draft Water Releases for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (4.84 MB)
  • Draft Air Releases (TRI) for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (1.34 MB)
  • Draft Air Releases (NEI 2017) for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (3.28 MB)
  • Draft Air Releases (NEI 2020) for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (4.42 MB)
  • Draft Application of Adhesives and Sealants Environmental Release Modeling Results for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (78.86 KB)
  • Draft Number of Sites for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (2.08 MB)
  • Draft Benchmark Dose Modeling Results for 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (1.11 MB)
  • Draft Lifetable Analysis of Leukemia and Bladder Cancer for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (74.62 KB)
  • Modified Lifetable Analysis of Leukemia and Bladder Cancer for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (63.11 KB)
  • Draft Risk Calculator for Occupational Exposures for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (213.54 KB)
  • Draft Integrated Indoor Outdoor Air Calculator (IIOAC) TRI 2016-2021 Exposure and Risk Analysis for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (5.94 MB)
  • Draft Human Exposure Model (HEM) TRI 2016 to 2021 Exposure and Risk Analysis for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (21.01 MB)
  • Draft Non Technical Summary for Draft Risk Evaluation of 1,3-Butadiene (pdf) (151.5 KB)
  • Corrected lifetable analyses for leukemia and bladder cancer for 1, 3-butadiene (pdf) (423.45 KB)
  • Addendum to the Draft Risk Evaluation for 1,3-Butadiene, and 1,3-Butadiene: Corrected Lifetable Analyses for Leukemia and Bladder Cancer (pdf) (267.72 KB)
  • Draft 1,3-Butadiene TRI and NEI Risk Estimate Comparison Analysis (pdf) (298.45 KB)
  • Draft Human Exposure Model (HEM) NEI 2017 and 2020 Preliminary Exposure and Risk Analysis for 1,3-Butadiene (xlsx) (747.85 KB)
  • Draft Risk Evaluation for 1,3-Butadiene: Supplemental Information on the Human Exposure Modeling Results (NEI) (pdf) (125.38 KB)

Assessing and Managing Chemicals under TSCA

  • How EPA Evaluates the Safety of Existing Chemicals
  • Prioritizing Existing Chemicals for Risk Evaluation
  • Risk Evaluations for Existing Chemicals under TSCA
  • Risk Management for Existing Chemicals under TSCA
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Last updated on March 4, 2025
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