Toxin takedown: New York pioneers 1,4-dioxane ban in household and personal care products

24 Sep 2024 --- New York adopts new regulations to curb 1,4-dioxane in household cleansing, personal care and cosmetic products. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says the state is the first in the US to take on the regulation for these product categories to protect consumers, natural resources and create healthier communities. 

Synthetic industrial chemical 1,4-dioxane is widely used as a chemical stabilizer in various formulations and is frequently linked to chlorinated solvents. It exists as a byproduct or contaminant in consumer goods like shampoo and laundry detergent. The US FDA says 1,4-dioxane may exist as a trace contaminant in cosmetics and is a potential carcinogen.

“Protecting the health and well-being of New Yorkers is paramount and science has shown that ongoing exposure to certain chemicals like 1,4-dioxane can harm public health and water quality,” says interim commissioner Sean Mahar. 

“The regulations… will enable DEC to fully implement the nation-leading law in place that helps prevent everyday household products from containing 1,4-dioxane for the benefit of the environment and our communities.”

DEC warns the chemical was found in groundwater sites across the US — especially in Long Island’s sole source aquifer and industrial and hazardous waste sites. It says the persistence of 1,4-dioxane in the environment is a challenge due to requiring “complex and costly” treatment technologies to remove it from drinking water.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) executive director Adrienne Esposito welcomes the new regulations and says “New York’s law limiting 1,4-dioxane in consumer products is working and the NYSDEC’s newly adopted regulations further protect our drinking water and health from this hidden carcinogen.”

DEC warns 1,4-dioxane was found in groundwater sites across US.“No longer are we washing our clothes, hair, bodies and babies with high levels of this toxin. Manufacturers have the ability to remove 1,4-dioxane from their products and the newly adopted regulations provide additional clarity, ensuring products are in compliance with the law. CCE applauds the DEC for advancing these regulations and, in doing so, protecting our families, drinking water and environment from 1,4-dioxane.”

Broader scope

December 2022 marked the implementation of the underlying New York State law mandating the reductions in 1,4-dioxane. 

The DEC says the recently adopted regulations will boost efforts to define the scope of products affected by developing a standardized method for quantifying 1,4-dioxane in products and clarifying manufacturing processes for waivers.

The regulations also set limits for 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic products at 10 parts per million (ppm) and 1 ppm in household cleansing and personal care products.

Last February, DEC held a stakeholder hearing to learn opinions on the rulemaking and accepted written comments and feedback before finalizing the regulation.

In other developments, the US state of Illinois will ban hotels from using small, single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products starting next summer to curb microplastic pollution after finding its presence in the Great Lakes.

By Venya Patel