US EPA Expands Safer Chemicals Ingredient List with Inclusion of Ten New Substances

On September 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expanded the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) by adding ten chemicals. The SCIL is a dynamic compilation of chemicals that meet the safety criteria of the Safer Choice program and now includes 1,071 chemicals that are considered the safest for their intended purposes.

Background

The Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) is a comprehensive compilation of chemical ingredients classified according to functional-use categories. These ingredients have been assessed by the Safer Choice Program and have been deemed to be safer alternatives to conventional chemical ingredients. The primary objective of this list is to assist manufacturers in identifying and adopting chemical alternatives that meet the exacting standards of the Safer Choice Program.

Selection Criteria

Prior to the inclusion of a chemical on the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) by the Safer Choice program, an independent third-party profiler, such as NSF International, or ToxServices, is responsible for collecting hazard information. This process involves a comprehensive examination and assessment of all available data on the chemical's toxicological properties and environmental behavior. Subsequently, the third-party profiler compiles a detailed report for submission to Safer Choice, together with a recommendation as to whether the chemical meets the criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients. Additionally, Safer Choice may conduct supplementary literature reviews and consider data from confidential sources, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's New Chemicals Program.

The Safer Choice program certifies products containing ingredients that meet the program’s criteria for human health and environmental safety and allows companies to use its label on products that meet the Safer Choice Standard. EPA encourages manufacturers to submit their safer chemical formulations for EPA evaluation and potential listing on the SCIL, which the EPA revises at least once annually to reflect advances in the field of safer chemistry.

The latest additions to the SCIL are: 

• Fats and Glyceridic oils, vegetable, hydrogenated; 
• Tocopherols; 
• Sulfuric acid, dimethyl ester, compd. with .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.'',.alpha.'''-[1,6-hexanediylbis(nitrilodi-2,1-ethanediyl)]tetrakis[.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl)]; 
• Glycolipids, sophorose-contg., Candida bombicola-fermented, from D-glucose and mahua Madhuca longifolia fats and glyceridic oils; 
• 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-dimethyl ester, polymer with 1,2-ethanediol, .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) and 1,2-propanediol, ester with .alpha.-methyl-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl); 
• Dodecanoic acid, ester with 1,2-propanediol; 
• Diisopropyl succinate; 
• Diisopropyl sebacate;  
• Methyl propanediol; and 
• Methyl ethyl ketone. 

You can access a downloadable spreadsheet of the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (xls). Additionally, the U.S. EPA has initiated efforts to eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from the program and to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of the program to include categories that are presently outside its scope.