Why am I being warned about potential exposure to 1,4-dioxane?
- 1,4-Dioxane is on the Proposition 65 for cancer.
- California's Proposition 65 requires businesses to warn people before exposing them to a significant amount of a chemical listed under Proposition 65 for cancer or reproductive toxicity.
What is 1,4-dioxane?
- 1,4-Dioxane is a chemical used to make some paints, varnishes, and adhesives, and is in some household cleaning and personal care products, in the form of a manufacturing byproduct.
Where can 1,4-dioxane be found?
- 1,4-Dioxane is a contaminant in some household cleaning and personal care products such as dish soap, dishwasher and laundry detergent, shampoo, and body wash.
- 1,4-Dioxane is not intentionally added to these products but is formed during the manufacture of ethoxylated surfactants (chemicals commonly found in household cleaning and personal care products).
- 1,4-Dioxane has been found in some drinking water. California monitors the amount of 1,4-dioxane in publicly supplied drinking water.
Some ways you can be exposed to 1,4-dioxane:
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- During pregnancy, 1,4-dioxane can pass from mother to baby.
How can I reduce my exposure to 1,4-dioxane?
- Before buying household cleaning and personal care products, check product labels for ingredients whose names contain or end with the following: polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, PEG, polyethoxyethylene, -eth, or -oxynol. Products with these ingredients may contain 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct.
- Contact your water supplier if you have questions or concerns about the possible presence of 1,4-dioxane in your drinking water.
For more information:
General Fact Sheets and Resources
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Scientific Information on 1,4-Dioxane
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) - US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Toxicology Program (NTP) - US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)- “Mineral Oils, Untreated or Mildly Treated” section in Re-evaluation of Some Organic Chemicals, Hydrazine and Hydrogen Peroxide (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) (1999), vol. 71F, pages 589-602.
Proposition 65
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)- Proposition 65: Background
- Proposition 65: The List of Chemicals
- Proposition 65: Fact Sheets
