Risk Evaluation for n-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP)
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) which amends the December 2020 risk evaluation for NMP under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final 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 NMP as a whole chemical substance (rather than on individual conditions of use) and does not assume that all workers exposed to NMP are always provided and 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.
EPA will next propose a rule to regulate NMP so that it no longer presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health. EPA will take public comment on any risk management action.
Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
Learn about risk management for NMP.
On this page:
- Background on NMP
- Uses of NMP
- Risk Evaluation of NMP under Amended TSCA
- Review of NMP prior to the Lautenberg Act
Background on NMP
NMP, also known as n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, or 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, is a chemical that is widely used during the manufacture and production of electronics, polymers, agrichemicals and petrochemical products. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) for NMP indicates the reported production volume is more than 160 million lbs/year (domestic manufacture and import).
Uses of NMP
NMP is a solvent that is used widely in the manufacture and production of electronics, petrochemical products, polymers and other specialty chemicals. It has numerous industrial, commercial, and consumer applications.
Risk Evaluation of NMP under Amended TSCA
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for NMP for public comment. The final revised risk determination finds that NMP, as a whole chemical substance, presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under its conditions of use.
In the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA assessed the impact of NMP on workers, occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical), consumers and bystanders. The primary health risks identified in the risk evaluation are developmental post-implantation fetal loss from short-term exposure and reduced fertility and fecundity from long-term exposure to the chemical. After reviewing these data, EPA determined that risk to workers for all occupational uses and to consumers from one consumer use of NMP drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk of injury to health. Risk from 29 out of 37 conditions of use of NMP drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk to health.
Eight of the 37 conditions of use do not drive the unreasonable risk: consumer use of NMP in paint and coating removers; consumer use of NMP in adhesive removers; consumer use of NMP in paints and coatings in lacquer, stains, varnishes, primers and floor finishes; consumer use of NMP in paint additives and coating additives not described by other codes in paints and arts and crafts paints; consumer use of NMP in other uses in automotive care products; consumer use of NMP in other uses in cleaning and furniture care products, including wood cleaners, gasket removers; consumer use of NMP in other uses in lubricant and lubricant additives, including hydrophilic coatings; and distribution in commerce.
In December 2020, EPA released the risk evaluation for NMP.
In November 2019, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for NMP for public comment and peer review.
In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for NMP which includes the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expects to consider in its risk evaluation of NMP conducted pursuant to TSCA section 6(b). In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for NMP which refined the scope of the NMP risk evaluation by clarifying the chemical uses 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 NMP Prior to the Lautenberg Act
Prior to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, EPA completed a risk assessment for NMP and published the following information: