New York State Sets Limits for 14 Dioxane Limits in Household Cleansing Personal Care and Cosmetic Products.

On 4 January 2024, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation proposed to add limits for 1,4-dioxane in household cleansing, personal care, and cosmetic products to the New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations by Statutory authority.  

1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of the manufacturing process for some surfactants contained in cleaning products and detergents and is not an intentionally added ingredient. 

Content of the proposed rule:   

The New York Department of State has received a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC). The changes to Article 35 and Article 37 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), which were adopted in 2019, will be put into effect by this rulemaking. These modifications set limits on the quantity of 1,4-dioxane that can be found in cosmetics, personal care, and household cleaning products that are sold in the State. 

The ECL sets a maximum permissible concentration of 1,4-dioxane for household cleaning and personal care products of 2 parts per million (ppm) by December 31, 2022, and 1 ppm effective by 31, 2023, and 10 ppm by December 31, 2022, for cosmetic products. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database classifies 1,4-dioxane as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans." However, despite the known health risks, 1,4-dioxane is still present in many consumer goods, including shampoos, detergents, deodorants, and cosmetics. 

Public comments 

An online public comment hearing on the proposed rule was held by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) on February 6, 2024. 

Further details on the proposed rule can be found here.