The Chlorine aspect worries me:
Dichloromethane is the least
toxic of the simple chlorohydrocarbons, but it is not without its health risks as its high
volatility makes it an acute inhalation hazard.
[4] Dichloromethane is also metabolized by the body to
carbon monoxide potentially leading to
carbon monoxide poisoning.
[5] Acute exposure by inhalation has resulted in optic neuropathy
[6] and hepatitis.
[7] Prolonged skin contact can result in the dichloromethane dissolving some of the fatty tissues in skin, resulting in skin irritation or chemical burns.
[8]
It may be
carcinogenic, as it has been linked to
cancer of the
lungs,
liver, and
pancreas in laboratory animals.
[9] Dichloromethane crosses the placenta.
Fetal toxicity in women who are exposed to it during
pregnancy, however, has not been proven.
[10] In animal experiments, it was fetotoxic at doses that were maternally toxic but no
teratogenic effects were seen.
[9]
In many countries, products containing dichloromethane must carry labels warning of its health risks.
In the European Union, the European Parliament voted in 2009 to ban the use of dichloromethane in paint-strippers for consumers and many professionals.
[11] The ban took effect in December 2010.[
citation needed]
They do use it in the food industry though.
Any moonshine around? That stuff works the best.
