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1,4-Dioxane

CAS Number: 123-91-1

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79
80 89
90 100
54

Sources of exposure:

Industrial use

Contamination

Description:

1,4-Dioxane is a synthetic cyclic ether used as a solvent during chemical manufacturing. It is also an unwanted by-product of ethoxylation, a process that uses ethylene oxide to make ingredients less harsh. Ethoxylated ingredients, including PEGs, PPGs, polysorbates, phenoxyethanol, and ingredients ending in “-eth” (such as laureth, steareth, and ceteareth), may be contaminated regardless of whether they are derived from petroleum or plant sources.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Genotoxicity

May cause mutations or damage DNA in cells.

Neurotoxicity

May impact brain function or development.

Organ System Toxicity

May cause organ damage and disease.

Respiratory Toxicity & Asthmagens

May damage the lungs or trigger asthma.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

  • REACH Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) Government of Canada. List of Ingredients that are Prohibited for Use in Cosmetic Products.

References

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency. Cheminformatics Modules, Computational Toxicology and Exposure Informatics (CompTox).
  2. California Department of Public Health. California Safe Cosmetics Reportable Ingredients List.

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.

For more information on our scoring methodology visit this page.