US EPA add more chemicals to Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)

SCIL runs a chemical list by its functional-use class, that EPA’s Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined in order to meet Safer Choice criteria.

SCIL chemicals are among safest for their functional use. It ensures there are no confidential or trade secret information appear on the list. Safer choice standard and criteria for safer chemical ingredient that are protective and address a broader range of toxicological effects has:

• Authoritative lists of chemicals of concern.
• CMR(Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxic) or developmental toxicants;
• PBT chemicals
• systemic or internal organ toxicants
• asthmagens
• sensitizers

In additional to these, the additions are:

• Chemical that has endocrine activity are closely monitored. Those that have toxicological hazards are not allowed.
• Safer choice has limited the impurity criteria to not more than 0.01% in final products. This list does not include impurities.

The chemicals are represented with different colored marks:

• Green circle: Chemicals of low concern based on experimental data.
• Green half-circle: Chemicals expected to be of low concern based on experimental data. Additional data would strengthen their confidence in the chemical’s safer status.
• Yellow triangle: The chemical has met Safer Choice Criteria for its functional ingredient-class ,but has issues in some hazard profile. Specifically, a chemical with this code is not associated with a low level of hazard concern but best-in-class chemical and among the safest available for a particular function.
• Grey square: Chemical will not be acceptable for use in products that are candidates for the Safer Choice label

List of stakeholders who can used SCIL

• Environmental and health advocates use this as a supporting list in their work with industry to encourage the use of the safest possible chemistry.
• Chemical manufacturers use this for promoting the safer chemicals they manufacture.
• Product manufacturers use the SCIL as a guide in making high-functioning products that contain safer ingredients.
• Retailers use the list to shape their sustainability programs.
• In the coming year, EPA hopes to expand the Safer Choice program to make products containing safer chemicals increasingly available to a larger community.

Talk to one of our TSCA Specialists today!