What Is Toluene, and Is It Harmful?
Toluene is a clear, colorless liquid with a distinctive smell that occurs naturally in crude oil, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It is a solvent used in making paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives and rubber, and it is added to gasoline along with benzene and xylene.
ATSDR says you may be exposed by breathing contaminated air or touching products that contain it, that car exhaust contains toluene, and that people who work with gasoline, paint or dyes may be exposed to higher levels. It says toluene may affect the nervous system, that low to moderate levels can cause headaches, dizziness, tiredness, confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea and loss of appetite, and that these symptoms usually disappear when exposure stops. Long-term daily exposure in the workplace may cause some hearing and color vision loss.
On cancer, ATSDR says studies in workers and animals generally show that toluene does not cause cancer, the EPA has determined there is inadequate information to assess its carcinogenicity, and IARC has determined it is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans. To reduce exposure, ATSDR advises using products that contain toluene, such as paints, nail polish, glues and stain removers, in well-ventilated areas, keeping them tightly covered when not in use, and storing household chemicals in their original labeled containers.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceATSDR says toluene is a clear, colorless liquid that occurs naturally in crude oil, used in making paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives and rubber, and added to gasoline. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says people may be exposed to toluene by breathing contaminated air or touching products that contain it, that car exhaust contains it, and that people who work with gasoline, paint or dyes may be exposed to higher levels. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says low to moderate levels of toluene can cause headaches, dizziness, tiredness, confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea and loss of appetite, and that these symptoms usually disappear when exposure stops. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says long-term daily exposure to toluene in the workplace may cause some hearing and color vision loss. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says studies in workers and animals generally show toluene does not cause cancer, the EPA found inadequate information to assess its carcinogenicity, and IARC found it not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR advises using products that contain toluene in well-ventilated areas, covering them tightly when not in use, and storing household chemicals in their original labeled containers. ATSDR, CDC ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.