AN ACR FLC IS EXPOSED TO A CLEANING SOLVENT THAT WAS LEFT ON BOARD BY A CONTRACT CLEANING CREW. THE CAPT; WHO HAD PROLONGED EXPOSURE; SUFFERED NUMBNESS OF HIS HANDS; BUT ALSO HAD JOINT PAINS; THESE LASTED 6 TO 8 HRS AFTER CONTACT. THE MATERIAL IS ALSO APPARENTLY FLAMMABLE. B737.

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SHORTLY AFTER LEVEL OFF AT FL310; FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT TO ADVISE OF A LEMONY SMELLING SUBSTANCE LEAKING OUT OF OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT; ROW 15-17 ACFT R. I SENT FO BACK TO CHK AREA AND HE FOUND 'SPRUCE'/SOL115 GUM REMOVER. WE MOVED PAX FROM AREA; ASKED FLT ATTENDANTS TO NOT TURN ON OR OFF LIGHTS AND LEAVE AT CURRENT INTENSITY. WE SOON ASKED ATC FOR LOWER AND FOR MORE DIRECT RTES TO GSO. WE DID NOT ASK FOR ANY SPECIAL HANDLING. MAINT OR ACFT CLEANERS LEFT THIS CHEMICAL ON BOARD. THE WARNING LABEL SAID FLAMMABLE LIQUID; KEEP FROM SPARK OR FLAME; USE ONLY IN WELL VENTILATED AREA. SEVERAL WARNINGS ABOUT CONTACT WITH EYES AND SKIN. A PAX MUST HAVE PUSHED HIS BAG INTO OVERHEAD COMPRESSING THE TRIGGER ALLOWING AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY TO LEAK OUT. I BELIEVE THIS AGENT SHOULD NOT BE USED ACFT. I TOUCHED THE BOTTLE WHILE READING THE LABEL AND WAS NOT ABLE TO WASH MY HANDS UNTIL AFTER WE LANDED. REST OF CREW WASHED IMMEDIATELY. MY FINGERS ON L HAND BECAME NUMB FOR SEVERAL HRS. OUR COMPANY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THE CHEMICAL WAS NOT FLAMMABLE! I LATER FOUND OUT OUR MECHS AT GSO SPRAYED THE CHEMICAL ON A BRICK AND PUT A MATCH TO IT; THE BRICK BURNED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS B737 CAPT SAID HE WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY EXPOSURE TO THE CHEMICALS IN THE CLEANING SOLVENT THAT WAS LEFT ON BOARD. THE REST OF THE FLC WERE NOT AFFECTED PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WASHED THEIR HANDS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY TOUCHED THE MATERIAL. THE CAPT CONTINUED FLYING AND DID NOT WASH UNTIL AFTER LNDG. THE CAPT SAID THAT HIS HANDS BECAME NUMB EXCEPT FOR SOME JOINT PAIN FOR 6 TO 8 HRS AFTER HE FIRST TOUCHED THE CANISTER. HE SAID THAT SO FAR THAT IS THE ONLY REACTION THAT HE HAS NOTICED. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE AND HIS COMPANY ATTEMPTED TO TRACE HOW THE MATERIAL GOT ON THE ACFT AND ITS INGREDIENTS. CLEANING COMPANY THAT IS A CONTRACTOR WITH THE COMPANY AT EWR USES THIS SOLVENT AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THE COMPANY'S CONTRACT ALLOWED ITS USE. OTHER STATIONS USE A HALON DERIVATIVE TO FREEZE GUM AND THEN JUST BRUSH IT OFF ALLEGED THE RPTR. THE GENERAL INGREDIENTS ARE LISTED AS ETHER AND OTHER SOLVENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT FORTHCOMING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC CHEMICAL MAKEUP; BUT DENIED THAT IT WAS FLAMMABLE. THE MATERIAL DOES; APPARENTLY; BURN READILY. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE FLASH POINT WAS APPROX 120 DEGS CELSIUS.