Evaluation of the California Safer Consumer Products Regulation and the impact on consumers and product manufacturers Dallas M. Cowan a,⇑ , Tony Kingsbury b , Angela L. Perez b , Tyler A. Woods a , Michael Kovochich a , Denise S. Hill c , Amy K. Madl a , Dennis J. Paustenbach b a Cardno ChemRisk, LLC, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA b Cardno ChemRisk, LLC, San Francisco, CA, USA c Cardno ENTRIX, Houston, TX, USA article info Article history: Received 24 September 2013 Available online 11 November 2013 Keywords: Product sustainability Safer consumer products Candidate Chemicals Chemicals of concern Priority product Product risk assessment Alternatives analysis Green chemistry Sustainable chemistry abstract Chemistry enables more than 95% of products in the marketplace. Over the past 20 years, various entities began to generate inventories of chemicals (‘‘chemical watch lists’’) potentially associated with human or environmental health risks. Some lists included thousands of chemicals, while others listed only a few chemistries with limited properties or toxicological endpoints (e.g., neurotoxicants). Enacted on October 1, 2013, the California Safer Consumer Products Regulation (SCP) utilized data from chemical inventory lists to create one master list. This paper aims to discuss the background and requirements of this regu- lation. Additionally, we wanted to understand the universe of Candidate Chemicals identified by the Reg- ulation. Data from all 23 chemical lists identified in the SCP Regulation were entered into a database. The most prevalent chemicals among the 2900 chemicals are identified, including the most prevalent chem- ical, lead, appearing on 65% of lists, followed by DEHP (52%), perchloroethylene (48%), and benzene (48%). Our results indicated that the most prevalent Candidate Chemicals were either persistent, bioaccumula- tive, carcinogenic, or reprotoxic. This regulation will have wide-ranging impact in California and through- out the global supply chain, which is highlighted through selected examples and case studies. Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Chemistry enables more than 95% of products in the market- place today. Complex chemistries involved with manufacturing can lead to multifarious chemistries in end products, which, in turn, can lead to a many opportunities for potential chemical con- tact among product end-users (Kümmerer, 2007). As a means to identify, monitor, control, and/or communicate chemical hazard information to the public, various entities (e.g., state or federal reg- ulatory agencies, non-governmental organizations, trade associa- tions, etc.) over the past two decades have generated inventories of chemicals (‘‘chemical watch lists’’) for which potential hazards may exist for human or environmental health. In some instances, a single list might include thousands of chemicals with a broad range of properties and hazard potencies, while other lists may contain a few dozen chemistries with limited properties or specific toxicological endpoints (e.g., neurotoxicants). Over the past couple of decades, these chemical lists have influenced the marketplace and global supply chains by suggesting that a particular chemical be used less frequently, be deselected, banned, or substituted for another chemical. The rationale for listing a chemical may not always be clearly defined, and the propensity for human or envi- ronmental exposure may not necessarily be assessed; however, the impact of these lists on the marketplace through public pressure is undeniable. The appearance of bisphenol A, triclosan, phthalates, and brominated flame retardants on various lists is indicative of the impact such lists are having on industry and the consumer. A landmark regulation called the California Safer Consumer Products Regulation (SCP), which was enacted in California on October 1, 2013, is expected to change the way manufacturers, supply chains, and consumers identify and manage chemicals inherently associated with consumer products. One of this regula- tion’s key aspects is the creation of a universe of Candidate Chem- icals from existing domestic and international regulatory chemical lists. Following years of public comment, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC, 2013a) submitted the final text of the SCP to the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) during the summer of 2013. It was approved by the OAL on August 28th, 2013, with implementation taking place on October 1st, 2013. The regulation is expected to be one of the most comprehen- sive and restrictive chemical regulations ever developed on a state level, although states like Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, and 0273-2300/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2013.11.001 ⇑ Corresponding author. Address: Cardno ChemRisk, LLC, 130 Vantis Suite 170, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA. Fax: +1 949 616 3899. E-mail address: Dallas.Cowan@Cardno.com (D.M. Cowan). Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 68 (2014) 23–40 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/yrtph