1,4-Dioxane in Personal Care and Cleaning Products

DTSC has identified 1,4-dioxane, a contaminant in certain beauty, personal care, hygiene, and cleaning products, as a Candidate Chemical that may warrant further research.

1,4-Dioxane is a likely human carcinogen that is highly mobile and persistent in water and is not removed by most standard forms of wastewater and drinking water treatment. DTSC is concerned about the potential adverse impacts to Californians from exposure to 1,4-dioxane, especially children and environmental justice communities. Many personal care and cleaning products are washed down the drain during or after use, releasing 1,4-dioxane into wastewater. Removing 1,4-dioxane from wastewater is difficult and expensive, making it hard for California to beneficially reuse wastewater for drinking water.

DTSC is requesting additional information from stakeholders about potential adverse impacts from 1,4-dioxane in consumer products; its presence in personal care and cleaning products; and the feasibility of removing it from these products.

Providing Input
To view the background document and submit comments, please visit DTSC’s CalSAFER portal. The comment period closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 30, 2019.

We will also host two public meetings to receive public input. 

• The first was held on Friday, June 28^th at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ Joint Administration Office in Whittier, California, and will focused on potential adverse impacts from the presence of 1,4-dioxane in consumer products.
  • Workshop Meeting Agenda
  • Workshop Video
  • Workshop Presentations:
    1. DTSC 
    2. Thorsten Reemtsma
    3. Ann Heil
    4. Mark Kawamoto
    5. Jeff O’Keefe
    6. Jane Williams
    7. Steve Risotto

• The second will be on Wednesday, August 21 in Sacramento. This day-long meeting will include presentations, roundtable discussion, and a Panel discussion focused on options for and impediments to lowering 1,4-dioxane in personal care and cleaning products. It will also cover considerations for setting an Alternatives Analysis Threshold.

Additional information, including meeting registration, will be available on our Workshops and Events Webpage. DTSC will consider both verbal input at the public meetings and written comments submitted during the public comment period as we continue to refine our research on 1,4-dioxane. We look forward to hearing from you.