Product News | Dioxane in Our Lives and How It Impacts

Jul.09.2022

What is 1,4-dioxane?

Dioxane is used as a stabilizer for chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethane and trichloroethylene. It can also be an unintended contaminant of chemical ingredients used in consumer products including bubble bath, shampoo, laundry detergent, soap, skin cleanser, adhesives, and antifreeze. Foods may also contain small amounts of 1,4-dioxane from some additives and packaging materials.

Dioxane in drinking water

The U.S. EPA has classified 1,4-dioxane as a likely human carcinogen. Low level exposure to 1 ,4-dioxane over a person's lifetime can increase the risk of cancer. Higher exposures over a shorter amount of time can damage cells in the liver, kidney, and respiratory system. This damage limits the ability of those organs to work properly.

1,4-dioxan-2-ylmethanol

How am I exposed to dioxane

Dioxane can get into your body mainly from consuming contaminated water, breathing contaminated air or vapors, and using contaminated cosmetic and/or cleaning products. As a byproduct of the ethoxylation process, a route to some ingredients found in cleansing and moisturizing products, dioxane can contaminate cosmetics and personal care products such as deodorants, perfumes, shampoos, toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Dioxane stay in the environment

Once it is in water, dioxane is likely to stay there and does not break down. This is why it can reach groundwater, surface water, and potentially drinking water. Once dioxane is in soil, it will most likely move into the water in the soil instead of attaching to the soil. If dioxane is released to air, it is likely to remain in air as a vapor.

Environmental impacts of dioxane

Based on available laboratory studies, dioxane does not appear to be harmful to aquatic plants, fish, or other aquatic animals at levels currently found in the environment.

1,4-dioxane-2-carbonitrile

Reduce my exposure

Reduce your use of products containing 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane is not intentionally added to products, so it will not be listed on product labels. Some chemicals that may contain dioxane in small amounts that listed on product labels are:

PEG

Polyethylene

Polyethylene glycol

Polyoxythylene

Polyoxynolethylene

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