1,4-Dioxane Q & A
Where Does it Come From?
- 10 000 - 100 000 kg was manufactured in, 10 000 - 100 000 kg was imported into, and 10 000 - 100 000 kg was used in Canada in 2006
- Used in the production of various products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, fats, waxes, lacquers, varnishes, cleaning and detergent preparations, adhesives, cosmetics, animal and vegetable oils, plastics, rubber, insecticides, herbicides, paint strippers, textile processing)
- An unwanted byproduct of an ingredient processing method called ethoxylation (where ethylene oxide, a known breast carcinogen, is added to other chemicals to reduce the risk of skin irritation for petroleum-based ingredients) - e.g., for conversion of sodium laurel sulfate to the less-harsh chemical sodium laureth sulfate (the “eth” denotes ethoxylation)
Where Has it Been Found?
- 46% of personal-care products tested by two non-governmental organizations
- 22% or more of the 25,000 products in the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Database (and 97% of hair relaxers, 57 % of baby soaps)
- Popular brands of children's bubble bath and body wash (according to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007)
- Some products contain it levels higher than recommended by FDA for other types of products (according to The US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)
- Most commonly found in products that create suds (e.g., shampoo, liquid soap and bubble bath)
- According to the Cosmetics Database it may be an impurity in everything from mascara to antiperspirant to lipstick to aftershave
- In Canada, it may be found in Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash, Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash, Johnson's Moisture Care Baby Wash, Johnson's Baby Shampoo, L'Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo - Burst of Cool Melon
How Can I Avoid It?
- Look for cautionary statements on the labels of foaming detergent bath products with directions for safe use, the need to keep out of the reach of children, or the need for adult supervision
- Scan the ingredient lists for ingredients or partial ingredient names such as “PEG,” “polyethylene,” “polyethylene glycol,” “polyoxyethylene,” “-eth-” (such as sodium laureth sulfate), “oxynol” "ceteareth" or "oleth"
What Are Its Health Concerns?
- It readily penetrates through the skin
- Listed as International Agency for Research on Cancer “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B); on Prop 65 as a chemical known to cause cancer; an European Commission Category 3 carcinogen
- US National Toxicology Program reasonably anticipates it to be a human carcinogen and the US Environmental Protection Agency considers it a probable human carcinogen
- Exposures have been linked to tumors of the liver, gallbladder, nasal cavity, lung, skin, and breast
- Also a suspected kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant according to the California Environmental Protection Agency
- US FDA scientists detected it at levels up to 1410 ppm and 279 ppm in cosmetic raw materials and personal care products respectively in 2001, with data further suggesting that levels in excess of 85 ppm in children's shampoos warrant continued monitoring of raw materials and finished products
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicated that its presence even as a trace contaminant is cause for concern
What Are Its Alternatives?
- Can be easily removed 'by means of vacuum stripping at the end of the polymerization process without an unreasonable increase in raw material cost', according to the FDA
- Manufacturers can skip ethoxylation entirely by using less-harsh ingredients to begin with