What Chemicals Are Banned Under the Toxic Substances Control Act?
Meta description: Learn which chemicals the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) bans or restricts, why some rules allow exceptions, and how to check current EPA requirements.
The Toxic Substances Control Act does not create one simple list of chemicals that are completely banned in every circumstance. Instead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates specific chemicals and uses, sometimes prohibiting them outright and sometimes restricting their manufacture, processing, distribution, or use. Asbestos, certain persistent chemicals, and some uses of methylene chloride and trichloroethylene are among the substances addressed by major TSCA rules. The details matter: a chemical may be prohibited in one product or activity while still allowed under limited conditions elsewhere.
How TSCA Chemical Bans Work
TSCA is the federal law governing many industrial chemicals in the United States. The EPA uses it to collect information, evaluate potential risks, and regulate chemicals that may pose unreasonable risks to health or the environment. The law applies to chemical substances and mixtures, subject to exemptions and provisions that may be covered by other laws.
Under TSCA Section 6, the EPA can impose requirements when it determines that a chemical presents an unreasonable risk. Depending on the evidence and the circumstances, an EPA rule may ban a chemical or a particular use, phase out an activity over time, set limits on concentrations, require warnings or workplace protections, or restrict who can handle the substance.
That is why the question “What chemicals are banned by TSCA?” needs a qualification. Some TSCA rules prohibit broad categories of activity, but other rules contain exemptions, phase-in periods, or conditions for continued use. “Restricted under TSCA” is often more accurate than “banned” unless a rule specifically prohibits the use in question.
The EPA’s rules can also change. Compliance dates may be amended, and companies may have obligations that depend on the specific substance, product, use, and date. Businesses should consult the current regulation and EPA guidance rather than relying on a general list.
Examples of Chemicals Banned or Restricted Under TSCA
The following examples illustrate major TSCA actions. They are not a complete inventory of every chemical or use subject to a TSCA restriction. In each case, the rule—not the shorthand label in a summary—defines what is prohibited and what exceptions apply.
| Chemical or group | What the EPA rule does | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos | Prohibits the ongoing use of chrysotile asbestos in specified products and activities. | Different uses have different phaseout schedules; the rule does not instantly eliminate every asbestos-containing material already in place. |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Generally prohibits the manufacture, processing, distribution, and use of PCBs, with controls for existing equipment and other specified activities. | Some continued uses, servicing, and disposal activities are subject to detailed conditions. |
| Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) | Restricts manufacture, processing, distribution, and use, including in several products. | Limited exceptions and transition provisions apply. |
| PIP (3:1) | Restricts activities involving this persistent chemical, including certain products and articles. | EPA has adopted exceptions and adjusted compliance provisions for specified uses. |
| Methylene chloride | Prohibits many industrial and commercial uses and consumer uses, while imposing workplace protections for certain continuing uses. | Some allowed uses remain subject to strict conditions and deadlines. |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | Prohibits many uses and phases out others, with limited uses potentially allowed under controls. | The rule includes use-specific restrictions and transition periods. |
| Perchloroethylene (PCE) | Prohibits or phases out several uses and sets requirements for certain continuing uses. | Requirements vary by use, including some dry-cleaning and industrial activities. |
Asbestos: A Phaseout of Specified Uses
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals whose fibers can cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Under a 2026 TSCA rule, the EPA prohibited the ongoing use of chrysotile asbestos in specified products and industrial activities, including certain uses connected to chlor-alkali production, automotive brakes, and other products.
The rule uses different compliance periods for different uses. Some prohibitions take effect sooner than others, while certain uses receive time-limited transitions. As a result, the rule should not be described as an immediate ban on every asbestos-containing material in the country. Existing asbestos in buildings is not automatically removed by the rule, and other federal, state, and local requirements may apply to handling, renovation, and disposal.
The EPA’s final rule and its asbestos program information provide the details on affected uses, deadlines, and protections. The rule is part of a broader federal approach; asbestos is also regulated under laws other than TSCA.
PCBs: Broad Prohibitions With Controls for Existing Uses
Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are persistent chemicals that were used in electrical equipment and other applications. TSCA generally prohibits the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, and use of PCBs, subject to regulatory exceptions. The EPA’s PCB regulations, found in 40 CFR Part 761, also address storage, cleanup, disposal, and certain existing equipment.
The rules do not mean that all equipment containing PCBs disappeared when manufacture was prohibited. Some older equipment may remain in service under conditions, and servicing or disposal must follow applicable requirements. This distinction is important for building owners, utilities, contractors, and waste handlers: an existing PCB-containing item is not automatically authorized for unrestricted use or disposal.
EPA guidance explains PCB requirements and helps users identify relevant rules for equipment, remediation, and waste management. The applicable provisions depend on the PCB concentration and the activity involved.
Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals
The EPA has restricted several chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). These substances can remain in the environment for long periods and build up in organisms or food chains. Under TSCA Section 6(h), EPA issued rules for five PBT chemicals: decaBDE, PIP (3:1), 2,4,6-TTBP, hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), and pentachlorothiophenol (PCTP).
- DecaBDE: A flame retardant restricted in products such as certain textiles, plastic shipping pallets, and electronic enclosures, with specific exceptions and transition provisions.
- PIP (3:1): A flame-retardant and plasticizer chemical subject to restrictions in products and articles. The rule includes specified exceptions and compliance provisions.
- 2,4,6-TTBP: A chemical used in certain industrial applications, including as an additive in fuels and lubricants. The rule limits its use above specified concentrations in certain activities.
- HCBD: A chemical byproduct restricted in manufacturing, processing, distribution, and use, subject to the rule’s defined conditions.
- PCTP: A chemical used in rubber products that is restricted above a specified concentration, with limited exceptions.
These rules do not all operate as blanket bans on any amount of the chemical in any product. Some set concentration limits, restrict particular activities, or allow defined exceptions. EPA has also amended aspects of certain PBT rules, so current requirements should be checked before making a compliance decision.
Methylene Chloride: Many Uses Prohibited, Some Allowed Under Controls
Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, has been used in paint and coating removal, manufacturing, and other commercial applications. Exposure can affect the nervous system and, at high levels, can be fatal. EPA’s 2026 TSCA rule prohibits most industrial and commercial uses, as well as consumer uses, with limited exceptions for specified uses under strict workplace protections.
For some continuing uses, the rule requires measures such as an EPA workplace chemical protection program, exposure controls, monitoring, and training. These requirements are not a general permission to use the chemical; they apply only to activities that the rule allows and must be followed by the relevant employers and users.
Consumers and businesses should not assume that a product is legal simply because it remains available or was purchased before a compliance date. The EPA’s methylene chloride risk-management page describes the rule and its use-specific requirements.
Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene
Trichloroethylene (TCE) has been used as a solvent and in manufacturing. The EPA’s 2026 TSCA rule bans many uses and phases out others because of risks to human health. The rule includes limited exceptions for specified uses, with controls and transition periods where applicable. It does not mean every activity involving TCE ended on the date the rule was announced.
Perchloroethylene (PCE), also called tetrachloroethylene, is used in dry cleaning and other industrial applications. EPA’s 2026 rule prohibits or phases out many uses and imposes requirements on certain continuing uses. Some permitted activities have conditions designed to reduce exposure, and timelines vary by use. People evaluating a particular product or workplace need to consult the rule’s specific provisions rather than treating PCE as either universally permitted or universally banned.
For both chemicals, the EPA’s TSCA risk-management pages provide the most useful starting point for checking affected uses, compliance dates, and protections.
Why Some Chemicals Are Restricted Rather Than Completely Banned
A chemical may have important industrial or public-health uses, while also posing risks in other applications. EPA risk-management rules can therefore target the uses or exposure pathways that create the greatest concern. A rule may allow a narrow use to continue when alternatives are not readily available, or it may set a phaseout so that users have time to change processes and equipment.
Risk management can also account for exposure controls, disposal risks, and the feasibility of substituting another chemical. However, an exemption does not mean a chemical is harmless. It means the regulation allows a defined activity under stated conditions. Users still need to follow applicable labeling, worker-protection, recordkeeping, and waste-management requirements.
How to Check Whether a Chemical Is Banned Under TSCA
- Confirm the chemical’s identity. Check the exact chemical name and, where available, its Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number. Similar names can refer to different substances.
- Identify the activity and product. Rules may distinguish among manufacturing, importing, processing, distribution, commercial use, consumer use, and disposal.
- Check the current EPA rule. Search EPA’s TSCA risk-management pages and the applicable section of the Code of Federal Regulations. The Federal Register provides the rule text and amendments.
- Review dates and exceptions. A rule may have staggered deadlines or conditions that apply only to certain uses. Confirm whether later amendments affect the original schedule.
- Check other laws and local requirements. TSCA is not the only law that can regulate a chemical. OSHA, state agencies, and other federal programs may impose additional requirements.
The EPA’s Assessing and Managing Chemicals Under TSCA pages summarize major risk-management actions. For legal or compliance decisions, the controlling sources are the current regulation and relevant EPA guidance, not an informal list of “banned chemicals.”
What a TSCA Ban Means for Consumers and Businesses
For consumers, a TSCA restriction may affect whether a product can be manufactured, imported, or sold, but it does not necessarily require removal of a product already installed or purchased. The answer depends on the rule and its treatment of existing products, articles, and uses. Consumers should follow product instructions and public-health guidance, especially for older materials such as asbestos or PCB-containing equipment.
For businesses, TSCA compliance can involve supplier checks, chemical inventories, employee protections, recordkeeping, and controls on shipping or disposal. Importers and manufacturers may need to verify that materials and articles meet restrictions even when a regulated chemical is present as part of a product component.
The practical answer is that TSCA bans or restricts specific chemicals in specific circumstances—not always every use of a chemical everywhere. The most prominent examples include PCBs, certain uses of asbestos, PBT chemicals, methylene chloride, TCE, and PCE. A reliable determination requires checking the current EPA rule for the exact chemical, activity, product, and deadline.