Chapter 9: Solvents and hydrocarbons · Part 3: Petroleum hydrocarbons
Toluene
- Poison schedule (Australia)
- Contaminant risk
The worst fact: Australia classes it as "May damage fertility or the unborn child". Workers showed nerve effects, including poorer colour vision and hearing, at 83 to 132 ppm. Of 164 Australian deaths from sniffing solvents in 2000–2021, toluene was the second most often detected substance (29.6% of cases tested), and the US health agency says repeated sniffing may permanently damage the brain.
Why brands use it: it's a strong, fast-evaporating solvent for glue, paint and grease.
Take care if: you're pregnant, or have teenagers in the house. Australia also classes it as "May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways; Causes skin irritation; May cause drowsiness or dizziness; Suspected of damaging the unborn child; May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure; Highly flammable liquid and vapour". (The EU is less strict, classing it only as suspected of harming the unborn child.) It's Schedule 6 above 50% (toluene and xylene combined) and otherwise Schedule 5 (Caution), with exceptions such as products with 25% or less of designated solvents and aerosols. Use with good ventilation and keep it tightly closed in its original container.
Comes from: crude oil, mostly by catalytic reforming (87%), plus by-products of making ethylene.
Myth check: "Toluene causes cancer": not on current evidence. The WHO cancer agency says it isn't classifiable; its real hazards are the brain, nerves and pregnancy.
Contaminants: benzene. Commercial grades usually contain some as an impurity: purified toluene about 0.01%, and technical grades up to 25%. Australia classes benzene as "May cause genetic defects; May cause cancer". It's unlikely in a well-made product, but it's a factor you can't see on the label.
Fair to say: Australia's regulator found the current scheduling adequate and no unreasonable risk to the public. Some paint thinners sold in Australia are mostly toluene: Omega's General Purpose Thinner safety data sheet (2019) lists 30 to 60% toluene, Schedule 6. We found none in supermarket products; a Diggers thinner sold through Bunnings uses xylene instead (35%, Schedule 5).
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Australian Government. Poisons Standard October 2026 (SUSMP), F2026L01327: 2-butoxyethanol; diethylene glycol monobutyl ether; hydrocarbons, liquid; toluene; xylene; tetrachloroethylene; trichloroethylene; Appendix B.
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical, and for ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, epichlorohydrin, benzene, 1,3-butadiene-containing butane and 1,2-dichloroethane. Workplace exposure standards (amended November 2025) and workplace exposure limits (July 2025). Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals code of practice (2015). Trichloroethylene health monitoring guide.
- NICNAS. Priority Existing Chemical Reports No. 6: 2-butoxyethanol in cleaning products (1996); No. 8: trichloroethylene (2000); No. 15: tetrachloroethylene (2001). IMAP Tier II assessments: diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (2013); toluene (2017); xylenes (2019).
- ATSDR. ToxFAQs: 2-butoxyethanol; propylene glycol; toluene; xylenes.
- HSDB (US National Library of Medicine), via PubChem: manufacturing, use and impurity data.
- Darke S et al. Volatile solvent misuse-related death in Australia, 2000–2021. Clin Toxicol 2023;61:260-265.
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 9.