What Is Turpentine?
The New Jersey Department of Health describes turpentine as a colorless liquid with a characteristic odor that is used as a solvent in paints, resins and waxes, and calls it a flammable liquid and a fire hazard. The NIOSH Pocket Guide lists a flash point of 95°F and classifies turpentine as a Class IC flammable liquid.
The NIOSH Pocket Guide lists symptoms including irritation of the eyes, skin, nose and throat, headache, dizziness, convulsions, skin sensitization, blood and protein in the urine, kidney damage, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and chemical pneumonitis from aspirating the liquid. The New Jersey Department of Health says turpentine may cause a skin allergy, and that once an allergy develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a skin rash. It says breathing turpentine can irritate the lungs, causing coughing or shortness of breath, and that higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs, a medical emergency with severe shortness of breath.
The NIOSH Pocket Guide lists both a NIOSH recommended exposure limit and an OSHA permissible exposure limit for turpentine of 100 ppm as a time-weighted average.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingThe NIOSH Pocket Guide lists NIOSH and OSHA exposure limits for turpentine of 100 ppm as a time-weighted average. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Government sourceNIOSH lists turpentine symptoms including eye, skin and throat irritation, headache, dizziness, skin sensitization, kidney damage and chemical pneumonitis from aspiration. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Government sourceNIOSH lists turpentine with a flash point of 95°F and classifies it as a Class IC flammable liquid. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe New Jersey Department of Health says turpentine may cause a skin allergy, and very low later exposure can then cause itching and a rash. New Jersey Department of Health ↗
- Medical referenceThe New Jersey Department of Health calls turpentine a flammable liquid and fire hazard used as a solvent in paints, resins and waxes. New Jersey Department of Health ↗
- Government sourceThe New Jersey Department of Health says breathing turpentine can irritate the lungs, and higher exposures can cause pulmonary edema, a medical emergency. New Jersey Department of Health ↗
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.