1,4-Dioxane Exposure Not Harmful, Canada Says

As part of its ongoing assessment of commercial chemicals, Canada is proposing not to regulate 1,4-dioxane further. The substance is often an impurity in ethoxylated compounds used in detergents, food packaging, and personal care products such as soaps and shampoos. The chemical is linked to cancer, and Canada already bans its use as an ingredient in cosmetics. Several consumer groups want all traces of the substance purged from personal care products. And some manufacturers wanting to "green" their products are seeking new formulations that will ensure their laundry detergents don't contain minute amounts of 1,4-dioxane (C&EN, Jan. 26, page 13). Earlier this month, two federal agencies, Environment Canada and Health Canada, proposed that the public's current exposure to 1,4-dioxane isn't high enough to endanger human health.