The majority of Dow ethoxylated surfactants have been evaluated and do not require proposition 65 warnings. Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended to provide residents with information on chemicals in the environment that are known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. While the right-to-know law provides consumers information, it’s important to note that proposition 65 labels do not assess risk.   Dow ethoxylated surfactants may contain trace impurities that are on the Proposition 65 list.  For some of our products, we have conducted risk assessments to manage proposition 65 labeling.  When the calculated exposures are below the Safe Harbor Limits, then Proposition 65 labeling is not required on our Dow product.  The Safe Harbor Limit is either established by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) or is calculated.

California SB 258 requires that cleaning product manufacturers that sell within the state of California list ingredients on product labels and provide additional information online.  The law defines a designated product as a “finished product that is an air care product, automotive product, general cleaning product, or a polish or floor maintenance product used primarily for janitorial, domestic, or institutional cleaning purposes.” Manufacturers are required to list certain intentionally added ingredients that are listed on 22 designated regulatory lists or that are on California’s nonfunctional constituents list, with some exceptions for confidential information.  Please refer to SB 258 for full details and compliance requirements.

California SB 258 Compliance Dates

January 1, 2020 – Online Labels
January 1, 2021 – Product Labels

Dow has disclosed 1,4-Dioxane levels in products used in the cleaning market to help formulators make raw material decisions.

New York recently passed legislation (S.4389-B/A.6295-A) that will limit the sale of household cleaning products containing 1,4-dioxane. No household cleaning product shall be distributed, sold, offered, or exposed for sale in New York where concentrations exceed 2 parts per million by December 31, 2022, and further, shall not exceed 1 part per million by December 31, 2023.

Please refer to S.4389 for full details and compliance information.