As consumer needs and lifestyles change, and as new manufacturing processes
become available, the soap and detergent industry responds with new products.
A commitment to safety is a top priority from the time a company begins working
on a new product and continues as long as the product is in the marketplace.
Companies evaluate the safety of existing cleaning products by talking with
consumers, reviewing scientific developments and monitoring product use data
that may affect the safety assessment process.
To determine the safety of a cleaning product ingredient, industry scientists
evaluate the toxicity of the ingredient. Toxicity is generally
defined as any
harmful effect of a chemical on a living organism, i.e., a human, an animal, a
plant or a microorganism. Since all chemicals, including water
(H2O), are toxic
under certain conditions of exposure, scientists must consider a
number of
factors affecting exposure. These include the duration and frequency of exposure
to the ingredient; the concentration of the ingredient at the time of exposure;
and the route and manner in which the exposure occurs, e.g., eye, skin or
ingestion. This information is essential whether assessing the
effect on humans,
animals, plants or microorganisms.
Because human safety and environmental evaluations consider different types
of exposures, they are evaluated by different procedures. The principal steps in
the assessment process are, however, the same. They involve:
- assembling existing data on toxicity and exposure;
- determining where new information is needed and, if necessary, carrying out appropriate studies; and
- determining whether predicted exposure levels are below levels that cause significant toxic effects.
This safety evaluation process enables scientists to predict the potential risk,
if any, associated with the use of the ingredient or product, and determine if it is
safe for consumers and the environment.
Medical science has long confirmed the important
relationship between cleanliness and health. The
regular use of cleaning products is fundamental to the
health of our society and the well-being of its people.
Because cleaning
products are part of our
everyday lives, it is essential that they not
present a significant risk to health. In
considering the human safety of an
individual ingredient or product,
toxicologists (scientists who assess the
safety of a chemical) are concerned with
the effects from two types of exposures:
intended and unintended. Intended
exposures occur with use of a cleaning
product according to the manufacturer's
directions. Unintended exposures can result
from misuse, through improper storage or by
accidental contact, such as when a liquid
detergent is splashed in the eye.
Hazards from these types of exposures are
evaluated from information obtained through
acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term)
tests and through a review of existing data.
Expected exposure routes are considered as
part of this evaluation.
Human safety evaluations begin with the specific ingredients and then move
on to the whole product. The effects for all ingredients are considered as the
product is formulated.
Toxicologists compare the expected exposure to the expected
effect during
both product manufacture and use. How will workers be exposed in the plant?
What is the intended use of the
product? Is it to be diluted? Undiluted? Used daily in the
home? Weekly in the workplace?
Toxicologists also consider the
expected effect of an
unintended
exposure. What is
the potential
hazard, for example, if a child
drinks a product directly from
the bottle?
If this human safety evaluation indicates an unacceptable risk, it may be
possible to make the risk smaller by changing the manufacturing process;
reformulating to reduce or eliminate an ingredient contributing to the toxic
effect; or using labeling or a child-resistant closure. If the risk cannot be reduced,
the product will not be marketed.
Even though manufacturers
formulate cleaning products to
ensure that they are safe or have
very low risk, human health effects
can still result from unintended
exposure. To warn consumers
about a specific hazard, household
cleaning products carry cautionary
labeling whenever necessary. For
consumers, this is one of the most
important features of the label.
Federal regulations govern how precautionary statements related to human
safety are used on household cleaning product labels. The regulations require
that statements follow a standard format. There is first a "signal word," followed
by a short description of the potential hazard. The following chart shows the
signal words _ CAUTION or WARNING and DANGER _ and
what they mean:
POISON, which rarely appears on household cleaning products, is the strongest
indication of hazard and means that accidental exposure could cause severe
medical effects. The term may be found on household lye and on some car care
products, such as antifreeze.
Along with the safety evaluation process and cautionary labeling, an extensive
consumer education program on the proper use, storage and disposal of cleaning
products supports the human safety efforts of the soap and detergent industry.
In addition, the industry works closely with poison control centers to assure
that, should an accidental exposure occur, treatment information is available to
health care providers. Together, these activities enable consumers to use
cleaning products with confidence in both their safety and performance.
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