The Dangers of Butyl Cellosolve & Better Alternatives

What is Butyl Cellosolve?

Butyl Cellosolve, also referred to as butyl glycol or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), is a chemical commonly found in household cleaning agents, including all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, and floor cleaners. It is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor, which can be misleading as it can cause significant negative health effects. Exposure to Butyl Cellosolve can lead to skin irritation and dryness, eye irritation, and respiratory issues such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Prolonged exposure or high levels of exposure can result in more severe symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and even liver and kidney damage. In some cases, exposure to Butyl Cellosolve has been linked to birth defects and reproductive issue. Originally celebrated for its active solvency and coupling properties, the industry has since recognized the dangers of Butyl Cellosolve usage; it has been listed as one of California’s Toxic Air Substances and is on the New Jersey Department of Health’s Hazardous Substance List.

Butyl Cellosolve Uses

Butyl Cellosolve is a highly versatile chemical that possesses a unique combination of properties that make it an essential ingredient in many household cleaning products. This colorless liquid is a powerful solvent that effectively dissolves dirt, grime, and stains, making it an effective cleaning agent in products such as all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, and floor cleaners. Its ability to penetrate surfaces and lift away tough stains is just one of the many properties that make Butyl Cellosolve a popular choice for cleaning agents. Butyl Cellosolve is a powerful ingredient in various cleaners such as:

• Glass cleaners
• Carpet cleaners
• Laundry additives
• Bathroom & Kitchen cleaners
• Multi-purpose cleaners for institutional and janitorial purposes
• General degreasers

It has also been used for:

• Pesticide production
• Various types of paints, primers, sealers, stains, and coatings across industries
• And more

Unfortunately, its effectiveness as a cleaning product and solvent is not outweighed by the potential damage it causes to the environment and the living organisms within, including human life.

The Dangers of Butyl Cellosolve

In humans, Butyl Cellosolve has been shown to cause liver and kidney damage and should be handled as extremely dangerous. This substance also irritates mucous membranes, including those in the eyes, nose, and throat.

Studies conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry have indicated that Butyl Cellosolve causes the destruction of red blood cells in animals and humans alike, resulting in damage to organs such as the kidney, spleen, and liver. The harmful substance has also been shown to cause reproductive effects and birth defects in animals; fewer offspring, underdeveloped bones, changes in estrous cycles, and cleft palates were all recorded during the conducted testing. 

A Butyl Cellosolve Alternative For Safer Solvent Usage

As the need for an effective alternative for Butyl Cellosolve has become increasingly apparent, VertecBio has risen to the challenge, developing ELSOL BCR . A bio-based solvent alternative to Butyl Cellosolve, this patented blend of bio-based solvent is 20-30% more efficient in viscosity reduction than Butyl Cellosolve and is both easy and inexpensive to distill/recycle.

VertecBio™ ELSOL® BCR is a bio-based Butyl Cellosolve replacement solvent that dries completely and leaves behind no residue. An extremely versatile product with excellent performance, this product is the perfect alternative to create safer cleaning agents.

With a better cleaning power and reduced solvent usage needs when compared to Butyl Cellosolve, ELSOL BCR also contains no environmentally hazardous ingredients, no Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP’s), and is manufactured in the United States. Vertec BioSolvents is dedicated to providing environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional solvents. Placing an emphasis on technology and sustainability, our bio-based solvents are designed to outperform their unsustainable counterparts in nearly every application.

If you have questions regarding our Butyl Cellosolve alternative, or any of our other products, please fill out our online contact form and a representative will respond promptly with more information.