EPA Advances TSCA Review of Ethylene Dibromide by Releasing Draft Risk Evaluation

Released on August 18, 2026

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is advancing its review of ethylene dibromide under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by releasing its draft risk evaluation. Ethylene dibromide is primarily used in fuels and related products as a lead scavenger in leaded aviation gasoline and in certain industrial and commercial applications. EPA evaluated potential risks across the chemical's lifecycle since workers and occupational non-users may be exposed during manufacturing (import), processing, distribution, industrial use, commercial use, aircraft refueling activities, and disposal while consumers may be exposed during aircraft refueling activities. Evaluating the chemical across all of these pathways is how EPA determines where new protections are needed and where existing safeguards are sufficient – to ensure workers, communities, and families have safe air, land, and water.

EPA used gold-standard science — including chemical-specific monitoring data, exposure modeling, and the best available scientific information — and evaluated potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations such as children and pregnant women as TSCA requires. The draft identifies significant contributions to unreasonable risk to workers and occupational non-users from inhalation and/or dermal exposure under 10 conditions of use. Based on the reasonably available information, the draft does not identify unreasonable risk to consumers, the general population, or the environment from ethylene dibromide itself.

Because ethylene dibromide is used primarily as a lead scavenger in leaded aviation gasoline, EPA wants to be clear about what this draft does and does not cover. This draft evaluation assesses ethylene dibromide, not the lead in avgas, which EPA addresses through separate authorities. EPA's 2023 endangerment finding for aircraft lead emissions remains in effect, and EPA continues to support the FAA-led transition and the EAGLE initiative to eliminate leaded aviation fuel.

All current protections for ethylene dibromide remain in place while EPA completes this review; releasing a draft risk evaluation does not alter any existing safeguards. After considering public and Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals comments, EPA will finalize the evaluation. If EPA continues to find unreasonable risk, the Agency will propose risk management actions under TSCA section 6(a) to address those exposures on a clear and accountable timeline.

This risk evaluation is draft and does not represent EPA's final determination regarding the risks posed by this chemical. Findings and conclusions may change based on feedback received during the public comment period and based on external peer review of the underlying science.

Upon publication of the Federal Register notice announcing its availability, EPA will accept public comments for 60 days in the ethylene dibromide TSCA docket (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0488). EPA will carefully consider all input before finalizing the evaluation in accordance with TSCA requirements.