California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control is Seeking Collaboration on the Next Round of Products

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The Safer Consumer Products (SCP) program, under CA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), is using a four-step process to reduce toxic chemicals in products that consumers buy and use. One of these steps includes developing Priority Products, which are products that contain one or more Candidate Chemicals. The DTSC is now seeking stakeholder engagement for implementing its Priority Product Work Plan (PPWP) in a webinar, scheduled for November 15. 2016 from 10:30am- 12:00pm PST.

The webinar will provide an overview of DTSC’s progress towards Priority Product selection. The webinar will also focus on three topics, which the DTSC would like stakeholder engagement in:

  • Potential aquatic impacts and continued uses of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and triclosan,
  • Nail products, and
  • Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASS) in carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and their care and treatment products.

Potential Aquatic Impacts and Continued Uses of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and Triclosan:

This category contains chemicals that may adversely impact aquatic resources, or that have been observed through water quality monitoring. SCP identified NPEs, triclosan, and some of their transformation products as Candidate Chemicals that may warrant further research. A Candidate Chemical as a chemical that exhibits a “hazard trait and/or an environmental or toxicological endpoint” and is either: 1) found on one or more of the authoritative lists specified in Section 69502.2(a) of the regulations; or 2) listed by DTSC using the criteria specified in Section 69502.2(b). SCP would like to better understand the presence of these Candidate Chemicals in the aquatic environment, and would like current product use information for these Candidate Chemicals in cleaning, personal care, and clothing products.

Nail Products:

Nail salon workers have daily exposure to a variety of hazardous chemicals in nail products. Additionally, nail products in salons and at home are used by potentially sensitive subpopulations such as pregnant women and children. Three key questions being explored for this topic are:

  • What are the potentially hazardous chemicals present in nail products?
  • Why are these potentially hazardous chemicals being used in nail products?
  • What alternative chemicals are being used including products marketed as green, safer, or free of specific chemicals?

PFASS in Carpets, Rugs, Upholstered Furniture, and Their Care and Treatment Products:

DTSC is concerned about the hazard traits of PFASs and their widespread presence in the environment, humans, and other living organisms. Carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture treated with PFASs for stain-, soil-, oil-, or water-resistance, as well as their PFASs-based care and treatment products, are potential long-term sources of widespread human and ecological exposures to this class of chemicals. DTSC is requesting public input to better understand:

  • The exposure potential from the use of PFASs in these consumer products, and
  • The hazard traits of short-chain PFASs, fluorinated ethers, and other “novel” PFASs.