Isn toluene an extremely toxic substance?
The common perception of toluene’s toxicity far exceeds reality. Fortunately there is an ample body of information available that specifically addresses this question. Toluene is more toxic than gasoline but it is certainly not agent orange or cyanide. See the Agency for Toxic Substances link below in the reference section. US Environmental Protection Agency Chemical Summary US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) National priority list of toxic substances Note that the ATSDR also rates gasoline as a hazardous substance. Mobil’s spec sheet for toluene even goes as far as saying that “Based on available toxicological information, it has been determined that this product poses no significant health risk when used and handled properly.
