Safer Consumer Products

We are working toward safer California households, workplaces, and products.

Publications and Media

Bălan SA, van Bergen SK, Blake A, Buck T, Coffin S, DeWitt JC, Goldenman G, von Hippel FA, von Hippel S, Leonetti CP, Rist D, Scheringer M, Trier X (2025) Confronting the interconnection of chemical pollution and climate change. Environ Innov Soc Transit https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2025.100966
Vestergren R, Appelblom A, Bălan SA, Brandsma SH, Bruton TA, Cousins IT, Gauthier JR, Heggelund A, Ivarsson J, Kärrman A, Melymuk L, Olisah C, Rosen A, Savvidou EK, Schellenberger S, Skedung L, Talasniemi P, Wickman T, Zweigle J, Zwiener C, Benskin JP (2024) A Systematic Workflow for Compliance Testing of Emerging International Classwide Restrictions on PFAS. Environ Sci Technol https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c06570
Bălan SA, Bruton TA, Harris K, Hayes L, Leonetti CP, Mathrani VC, Noble AE, Phelps DSC (2024) The total mass of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in California cosmetics. Environ Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06539

DeWitt JC, Glüge J, Cousins IT, Goldenman G, Herzke D, Lohmann R, Miller M, Ng CA, Patton S, Trier X, Vierke L, Wang Z, Adu-Kumi S, Balan S, Buser AM, Fletcher T, Haug LS, Heggelund A, Huang J, Kaserzon S, Leonel J, Sheriff I, Shi YL, Valsecchi S, Scheringer M. (2024) Zürich II Statement on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): Scientific and Regulatory Needs. Environ Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00147

Bălan SA, Bruton TA, Hazard KG (Eds.) (2023) Toward a PFAS-free Future: Safer Alternatives to Forever Chemicals. Royal Society of Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781837671410

Meng Q, and Zhou X (2023) Enhancing the Value of Comparative Exposure Assessment in Alternatives Assessment. Front. Sustain. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.983218

Arnold WA, Blum A, Branyan J, Bruton TA, Carignan C, Cortopassi G, Datta S, DeWitt J, Doherty A-C, Halden RU, Harari H, Hartmann EM, Hrubec TC, Iyer S, Kwiatkowski CF, LaPier J, Li D, Li L, Muñiz Ortiz JG, Salamova A, Schettler T, Seguin RP, Soehl A, Sutton R, Xu L, Zheng G (2023) Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern. Environ Sci Technol https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c08244

Bălan SA, Andrews DQ, Blum A, Diamond ML, Fernández SR, Harriman E, Lindstrom AB, Reade A, Richter L, Sutton R, Wang Z, Kwiatkowski CF (2023) Optimizing chemicals management in the United States and Canada through the essential-use approach. Environ Sci Technol https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c05932

Doherty AC, Lee CS, Meng Q, Sakano Y, Noble AE, Grant KA, Esposito A, Gobler CJ, Venkatesan AK (2023) Contribution of household and personal care products to 1,4-dixoane contamination of drinking water. Curr Opin Environ Sci Health 31:100414

Chartres N, Sass JB, Gee D, Bălan SA, Birnbaum L, Cogliano VJ, Cooper C, Pullen Fedinik K, Harrison RM, Kolossa-Gehring M, Mandrioli D, Mitchell MA, Norris SL, Portier CJ, Straif K, Vermeire T (2022) Conducting evaluations of evidence that are transparent, timely and can lead to health-protective actions. Environ Health 21:123

Dawson D, Fisher H, Noble AE, Meng Q, Doherty AC, Sakano Y, Vallero D, Tornero-Velez R, Cohen Hubal EA (2022) Assessment of non-occupational 1,4-dioxane exposure pathways. Environ Sci Technol 56(8): 5266-5275

Grant KA, Nakayama Wong L, Meng Q, Lee H, Phelps D, Davis S, Salinas M, Luan T and Zhou X (2021) Informed substitution of hazardous chemicals through the lens of California’s Safer Consumer Products Alternatives Analysis: Best practices, challenges, and opportunities. Integr Environ Assess Manag 00:1-13

Castor K, Doherty AC, Grant K, and Koltunov M (2021) Analysis of 1,4-Dioxane in Consumer Products by Solid Phase Microextraction and Triple Quadrupole GC/MS. Agilent Application Note – Consumer Products.

Bălan SA, Mathrani VC, Guo DF, Algazi AM (2021) Regulating PFAS as a chemical class under the California Safer Consumer Products Program. Environ Health Perspect 129(2)

Bălan SA and Meng Q (2021) PFASs in consumer products: Exposures and regulatory approaches. In Forever Chemicals: Environmental, Economic, and Social Equity Concerns with PFAS in the Environment. Edited by David M. Kempisty and LeeAnn Racz. CRC Press.

Negev M, Berman T, Reicher S, Bălan S, Soehl A, Goulden S, Ardi R, Shammai Y, Hadar L, Blum A, Diamond ML (2018) Regulation of chemicals in children’s products: How U.S. and EU regulation impacts small markets. Sci Total Environ 616-617:462-471.

Schaider LA, Bălan SA, Blum A, Andrews DQ, Strynar MJ, Dickinson ME, Lundberg DM, Lang JR, Peaslee GF (2017) Fluorinated compounds in U.S. fast food packaging. Environ Sci Technol Lett 4(3):105-111

Hu XC, Andrews DQ, Lindstrom AB, Bruton TA, Schaider LA, Grandjean P, Lohman R, Carignan CC, Blum A, Bălan SA, Higgins CP, Sunderland EM (2016) Detection of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in U.S. drinking water linked to industrial sites, military fire training areas, and wastewater treatment plants. Environ Sci Technol Lett 3(10):344-350

The SCP YouTube Playlist includes recordings of SCP public workshops and meetings.

Below are some additional recorded presentations by SCP staff:

Bălan SA (2021) Addressing PFASs at the source: One at a time or all at once? P2 West Roundtable Collaboration. October 21, 2021 (starts at 6:58).

Doherty AC (2021) DTSC’s Safer Consumer Products Program. Annual RMP Meeting. October 14, 2021 (starts at 46:30).

Bălan SA (2021) Regulating PFASs in food packaging: One at a time or all at once? Food Packaging Forum 2021 Workshop: Different perspectives on food contact materials: Working together to make FCMs safer. October 8, 2021.

Bălan SA (2021) A chemical class approach to regulating PFASs in consumer products. 2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC21).

Bălan SA (2020) Regulating CECs under the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) program. 2020 Reconvening of the Science Advisory Panel for Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs) in California’s Aquatic Ecosystems, October 12, 2020 (starts at 1:02:20).