By: Allison Hunter, Technical Services Manager, Global Solution Centers Univar Solutions
Cleaning product manufacturers are on high alert since New York regulators have enforced the reduction of 1,4-dioxane levels, effectively banning all but trace amounts of this potentially harmful ingredient to protect consumers and groundwater supplies. As a result, home cleaning and personal care products sold or distributed in New York must register levels below 2 parts per million (ppm) by the last day of 2022 and 1 ppm by the end of 2023.
With the cleaning industry moving to reduce 1,4-dioxane levels by 2022, now is the time to discover alternative solutions for your cleaning products.
While not intentionally added to cleaning products, 1,4-dioxane is created during the manufacture of ethoxylated chemicals, including surfactants. Commonly found in cleaning products that foam or suds, such as hand soaps, dishwashing liquids, and laundry detergents, ethoxylated surfactants can function as cleansers, emulsifiers, solubilizers and foaming agents.
Formulating away from 1,4-dioxane without sacrificing efficacy
Manufacturers add ethylene oxide to the molecule – called ethoxylation – because the compound’s “water-loving” properties provide greatly improved performance where water and oil would not typically interact well. The ethoxylation process also allows formulators to temper some conventional cleaning ingredients – such as to produce a gentler skin reaction or a more appealing texture – albeit with the unintended consequence of the residual 1,4-dioxane.
As the industry begins to know more about concerning ingredients like dioxane and other volatile organic compounds – and as consumers seek out safer and more sustainable options – there has been a positive response by innovating new classes of naturally derived surfactants that not only perform well from a cleaning and emulsifying standpoint, but also from a sustainability standpoint, delivering on cold water performance, biodegradability, and sourced from renewable feedstocks.
While the chemical industry races to navigate the fast-approaching deadline, here’s important information that will help you mobilize for the challenge and achieve better outcomes with lower-dioxane formulations, and perhaps even optimize your product line in the process.
More than just compliance and regulations
“Manufacturers need to act now, because the urgency exists on two fronts: First, while some products with low levels of ethylene oxide might remain compliant, a vast majority of products across the supply chain will fall above the new thresholds and require adjustment,” says Alison Hunter, technical services manager for Univar Solutions. “With additional and stricter regulations expected as more regulators and governments move to protect consumers and water supplies, cleaning brands using ethoxylated surfactants would be wise to formulate away from 1,4-dioxane or eliminate it now.”
Once a calculation shows a reformulation is necessary, the steps and time involved to achieve compliance go beyond the time to reformulate or adjust levels, even for seemingly simple changes. In addition to creating the new formula, formulators should allow adequate time to confirm efficacy and perform stability and preservative testing, as well as packaging compatibility studies. Allowing time to scale-up production to ensure the new formulation performs just as successfully on the manufacturing line as it did in the lab, is advisable. “If you haven’t started assessing levels, there’s no time to waste,” adds Hunter.
Formulators can consider lowering the level of ethoxylated surfactants to a compliant level or replacing it with another type of surfactant that doesn’t produce dioxane. This can be done either by replacing ethoxylated surfactants with bio-based surfactants or by rebalancing primary and secondary surfactant levels to achieve compliance.
Building on innovation and ingredients
With time and cost as key drivers, the technical experts at Univar Solutions have developed starter formulation kits to give you a valuable head start to reduce or eliminate 1,4-dioxane in common cleaning products. Already lab approved and quality tested, the Conscientiously Clean formulation kit developed at the Company’s Houston Solution Center works well across many applications, including all-purpose cleaners, shower/tub/tile cleaners, manual dish soaps and a three-times liquid laundry formulation.
Univar Solutions’ homecare and industrial cleaning lab team recently also concluded an exciting, dual-enzyme project, resulting in the development of a new heavy-duty laundry formulation for athletes and gym enthusiasts. With consumers seeking household cleaning products that are safe and gentle for people and the planet, but tough on organic and DNA-based stains like grass and sweat, their innovative chemists developed an enzymatic athletic laundry detergent for the rapidly expanding health and wellness segment.
Beyond the formulation kits like Conscientiously Clean, Univar Solutions routinely shares existing formularies to help their customers save time and troubleshoot problems. Their innovative chemists and scientists are continually watching for what’s next on the horizon, staying ahead of the latest trends, innovations, and technologies. Formulators can consider these time-saving options and build confidence in achieving better outcomes and solutions.
The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL Solutions. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL Solutions or its affiliates.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL Solutions or the content author.
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.
UL Solutions does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL Solutions does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.