1,4-Dioxane
*originally published February 2022, updated January 2023
1,4-Dioxane is a likely human carcinogen found in a lot of everyday products: soaps, cleaners, detergents, cosmetics, personal care products, and even supplements, food packaging, and crops.
It is difficult for consumers to avoid 1,4-dioxane in products because it is not listed on the ingredient label.
Health Effects 0f 1,4-Dioxane Exposure
1,4-Dioxane is a Likely Carcinogen
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) considers 1,4-dioxane as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The EPA established that 1,4-dioxane is a “probable human carcinogen.” Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that 1,4-dioxane is “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
Other adverse health effects from 1,4-dioxane include eye, nose and throat irritation from short term exposure, and kidney and liver damage from long term exposure. Animal studies show skin exposure of 1,4-dioxane can increase the cancer-causing properties of other chemicals. Some studies associate industrial exposure of 1,4-dioxane (along with other chemicals) with increased rate of stillbirths and spontaneous abortion. 1,4-dioxane is expected to pass from a mother’s breastmilk to infants.
Where Does 1,4-Dioxane Come From
1,4-dioxane is produced as a solvent for paper, cotton, and textile processing; for chemical manufacturing; and in automotive coolant liquid. 1,4-dioxane is also found in cleaning products, personal care products, and cosmetics, as a byproduct and remaining contaminant from a manufacturing process called ethoxylation. We are unknowingly exposed to 1,4-dioxane from products containing ethoxylated ingredients since 1,4-dioxane is not listed on ingredient labels.
FDA recommends a technique called vacuum stripping to reduce the amount of 1,4-dioxane. However, 1,4-dioxane is being found in many products.
Avoid Ethoxylated Ingredients
We can reduce our exposure to 1,4-dioxane by identifying and avoiding ethoxylated ingredients which are used surfactants and emulsifiers in products. Ethoxylated ingredients can be identified with the following words or abbreviations: polysorbate, polyethylene, polyoxyethylene, PEG and PPG. Also, words ending in “-eth” like laureth, steareth, ceteareth are ethoxylated ingredients.
Cleaning Products
Examples of commonly used ethoxylated ingredients in cleaning products include the following:
Laureth
Ethoxylate
Pareth
Find safer cleaning products without ethoxylated ingredients in this non-toxic cleaning guide.
Cosmetics & Personal Care
Examples of commonly used ethoxylated ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products include the following:
Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
Polysorbate
Phenoxyethanol
What Studies Show
Based on an independent risk assessment, the European Commission Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concludes that in cosmetic products, 1,4-dioxane amounts are considered safe for consumers at levels of 10,000 ppb or less. The FDA limits the amount of 1,4-dioxane in the food additive polysorbate to 10,000 ppb and also recommends 10,000 ppb or less in cosmetics.
Unfortunately studies over the years (dating back to the 1970s) have continually detected 1,4-dioxane in a range of products, with some far exceeding the 10,000 ppb safety threshold.
A study in 2019 found 1,4-dioxane in 65 of the 80 cleaning and personal care products tested. Several products in this study contained 1,4-dioxane in amounts exceeding this 10,000 ppb including body wash, laundry detergent, and baby products.
Some of the products with the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane detected were the following:
Dreft (Stage 1/Newborn) - 10,000 ppb
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Shower Gel – 17,000 ppb
Tide Original – 14,000 ppb
2x Ultra Ivory Snow Gentle Care – 11,000 ppb
Gain Original – 10,000 ppb
To see the full list of products tested and the amount of 1,4-dioxane found, head to this document.
Concerns of 1,4-Dioxane In Water
Consumer products contribute to the contamination of drinking water with 1,4-dioxane. It has been found in groundwater sites throughout the US. While it evaporates quickly in the air, it migrates rapidly in groundwater. Once 1,4-dioxane makes its way into groundwater, it remains there and has the potential to get into drinking water.
A maximum contaminant level of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water has not been established. The EPA considers the Lifetime Cancer Risk Guideline for drinking water of 0.35 micrograms per liter.
1,4-Dioxane Legislation
Several states have passed legislation to address 1,4-dioxane contaminated groundwater. In 2022 New York began restricting the amount of 1,4-dioxane allowable in cosmetics, cleaning products, and personal care products. Several commonly used detergents like Gain, Arm & Hamer, and Tide were recently found to have unacceptable levels of 1,4-dioxane.
Since this original publishing of this article, P&G reached out to me with the following: “The tests mentioned in the article were conducted months before the new law went into effect, and we reformulated our products and moved directly to the lower concentration limit of <1 ppm well ahead of the statutory deadline of the new NYSDEC requirements on trace levels of 1,4-dioxane.”
By purchasing products without ethoxylated ingredients, we reduce exposure to 1,4-dioxane.
References & Resources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK153666/
[2] https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrro_factsheet_contaminant_14-dioxane_january2014_final.pdf
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_194.pdf
[4] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b72eb5b8ab7222baffc8dbb/t/5c9a8745ee6eb01dd7c77d5e/1553631051532/FINAL319_+The+2019+Consumer+Shopping+Guide+.pdf
[5] https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/potential-contaminants-cosmetics/14-dioxane-cosmetics-manufacturing-byproduct#:~:text=In%20an%20independent%20risk%20assessment,levels%20of%20%E2%89%A410%20ppm.
[6] https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/risk/docs/guidance/dwec/dioxaneinfo.pdf
[7] https://www.citizenscampaign.org/14dioxane
