On October 18, 2013, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released an updated “Initial Candidate Chemicals List” – a list of chemicals that will be the first to receive the DTSC’s attention when it identifies “Priority Products” for regulation in 2014 under the new Safer Consumer Products Regulations.
The DTSC first released the list of “Initial Candidate Chemicals” on September 26, 2013, four days before the Safer Consumer Products Regulations implementing California’s Green Chemistry Initiative went into effect. The Regulations require the list to be updated periodically. With the update, the number of “Initial Candidate Chemicals” drops from 164 to 155.
The following chemicals were removed from the updated “Initial Candidate Chemicals List,” although each still appears on the “Candidate Chemical List”:
- 4-Tert-Octylphenol; 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyl-4-butylphenol
- Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether polymer; [2,2′-bis(2-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl)-propane]
- Bisphenol B; (2,2-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-n-butan)
- Bromate
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Dicyclohexyl phthalate and metabolite
- Diethyl phthalate and metabolite
- Nonylphenol, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NP/NPEs) (and related substances)
- Parabens
In addition, Bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl)ether,technical grade was added to the Initial Candidate List.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full list of the 155 priority chemicals, updated as of October 18, 2013.
Chemicals are placed on the “Initial Candidate Chemicals List” if they have both a hazard trait and environmental or toxicological effects. Chemicals that have only a hazard trait or only environmental or toxicological effects are placed on the more extensive “Candidate Chemicals List,” of which the “Initial Candidate Chemicals List” is a subset.
The updated list of “Initial Candidate Chemicals” is significant in that it removes parabens as a priority chemical. Parabens are commonly used in cosmetics as a preservative. The family of parabens on the “Candidate Chemicals List” includes Butylparaben (includes n-butylparaben and isobutylparaben); Ethyl paraben, Ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate; Methylparaben; Methyl p-Hydroxybenzoate; and n-Propylparaben.
What this means is that parabens will not be targeted by DTSC as a potential “chemical of concern” when the DTSC identifies priority products containing chemicals that will need to be subject to an alternatives analysis and regulatory response. The DTSC must propose its list of up to five priority products, or categories of priority products, for regulation by April 1, 2014. However, parabens continue to appear on the DTSC’s exhaustive list of more than 1,016 “Candidate Chemicals” so they may yet draw attention from the DTSC.
Conkle, Kremer & Engel attorneys stay up to date on the latest regulatory developments to provide expert guidance to clients seeking to avoid regulatory compliance issues and the potential liability that may follow.
DTSC list of 155 Priority Chemicals, updated as of October 18, 2013:
1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane | 1,1,1-Trichloroethane; Methyl chloroform |
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane | 1,1,2-Trichloroethane |
1,1-Dichloroethane | 1,2,3-Trichloropropane |
1,2-Diphenylhydrazine; Hydrazobenzene | 1,2-Epoxybutane |
1,3-Butadiene | 1,3-Propane sultone; 1,2-Oxathiolane 2,2-dioxide |
1,4-Dioxane | 2,2-Bis(bromomethyl)propane-1,3-diol |
2,4,6-Trinitro-1,3-dimethyl-5-tert-butylbenzene; musk xylene | 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol |
2,4.6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) | 2?Acetylaminofluorene |
2-Methylaziridine (Propyleneimine) | 2-Methylphenol, o-Cresol |
2-Nitropropane | 3-Methylphenol; m-Cresol |
4,4′-Methylenedianiline; 4,4’-Diaminodiphenylmethane (MDA) | 4-Bromophenyl phenyl ether, Bromophenyl Phenyl Ether |
4-Nitrobiphenyl | Acetaldehyde |
Acetamide | Acrylamide |
Acrylonitrile | Allyl chloride |
Aluminum | Aniline |
Aromatic amines | Aromatic Azo Compounds |
Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds | Asbestos (all forms, including actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite) |
Benzene | Benzene, Halogenated derivatives |
Benzotrichloride | Benzyl chloride |
Beryllium and Beryllium compounds | Biphenyl-3,3′,4,4′-tetrayltetraamine; Diaminobenzidine |
Bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl)ether,technical grade | Bisphenol A |
Butylbenzyl phthalate and metabolite | Cadmium and cadmium compounds |
Captan | Carbon monoxide |
Carbon tetrachloride; CCl4 | Catechol |
Chlorendic acid | Chlorinated Paraffins |
Chlorine dioxide | Chlorite |
Chloroalkyl ethers | Chloroethane; ethyl chloride |
Chloroprene; 2-chlorobuta-1,3-diene | Chromium hexavalent compounds (Cr (VI) |
Chromium trioxide | Cobalt metal without tungsten carbide (including dust and cobalt compounds) |
Cresols, Cresol mixtures | Cumene, [ isopropylbenzene] |
Cyanide and Cyanide compounds | Cyclotetrasiloxane; Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) |
Diazomethane | Dibutyl phthalate and metabolites |
Dichloroethylenes | Dichloromethane; methylene chloride |
Diesel engine exhaust | Diethanolamine |
Diethyl hexyl phthalate and metabolites | Diisobutyl phthalate and metabolite |
Di-isodecyl phthalate and metabolite | Di-isononyl phthalate and metabolites |
Dimethyl sulfate | Dimethylcarbamoyl chloride |
Dinitrotoluenes | Di-n-Octyl Phthalate and metabolites |
Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) | Emissions, Cokeoven |
Epichlorohydrin; 1-Chloro-2,3-epoxypropane | Ethyl acrylate |
Ethylbenzene | Ethylene dichloride; 1,2-Dichloroethane |
Ethylene Glycol | Ethylene oxide; oxirane |
Ethylene Thiourea | Ethyleneimine, Aziridine |
Ethyl-tert-butyl ether | Formaldehyde |
Fuel oils, high-sulfur; Heavy Fuel oil; (and other residual oils) | Gasoline (automotive, refined, processed, recovered, and other unspecified fractions) |
Glutaraldehyde | Glycol ethers |
Glycol ethers acetate | Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and mixed isomers |
Hexachlorobuta1,3-diene | Hexachloroethane |
Hexamethylene-1,6-diisocyanate | Hexamethylphosphoramide |
HMX | Hydrazine, Hydrazine compounds and salts |
Hydrogen sulfide | Jet Fuels, JP-4, JP-5, JP-7 and JP-8 |
Lead and Lead Compounds | Maleic anhydride |
Manganese and manganese compounds | Mercury and mercury compounds |
Methanol | Methyl chloride |
Methyl isobutyl ketone, Isopropyl acetone; (MIBK) | Methyl isocyanate |
Methylene diphenyl diisocyanates | Methylhydrazine and its salts |
Methylnaphthalene; 2-Methylnaphthalene | Mineral Oils: Untreated and Mildly Treated |
N,N-dimethylformamide; dimethyl formamide | N,N-Dimethylhydrazine |
Naphthalene | n-Hexane |
Nickel and Nickel Compounds; Nickel refinery dust from the pyrometallurgical process | Nickel oxides |
Nickel, metallic and alloys | Nitrate+Nitrite |
Nitrobenzene | Nitrosamines |
Pentabromophenol | Perfluorochemicals |
Petroleum; Crude oil | Phthalic anhydride |
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners | Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners |
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) | Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDFs) and Furan Compounds |
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) | Propylene oxide |
Quinoline and its strong acid salts | Silica, Crystalline (Respirable Size) |
Stoddard solvent; Low boiling point naphtha – unspecified; | Strong Inorganic Acid Mists Containing Sulfuric Acid |
Styrene and derrivatives | Sulfur dioxide |
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) | Tetrachloroethylene; Perchloroethylene; (PERC) |
Thallium | Toluene |
Toluene Diisocyanates | Trichloroethene (TCE) |
Trihalomethanes | Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) |
Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate | Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) |
Vanadium pentoxide | Vinyl acetate |
Vinyl Bromide, Bromoethylene | Vinyl chloride; chloroethylene |
Xylenes; [o-xylene (95-47-6), m-xylene(108-38-3)and p-xylene (106-42-3)] |
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