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PROTEASE

 

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation.

Asthma/Respiratory
 
Some Concern
 
Skin Allergies &
Irritation
 
No Data, Some Concern
 
Developmental &
Reproductive Toxicity
 
No Data, Some Concern
 
Cancer
 
No Data, Some Concern
 
Environment
 
No Data, Some Concern
 
Top scoring factors: No information available on this substance.
PROTEASE can be found in 301 products.
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Evidence

Health issue
 
Level of Concern
 
Source
among workers at detergent factories, detergent protease exposure is associated with respiratory disease
 
some
 
A. Brant, S. Upchurch, M. van Tongeren, C. Zekveld, J. Helm, F. Barnes, A. J. Newman Taylor & P. Cullinan. 2009. Detergent protease exposure and respiratory disease: case-referent analysis of a retrospective cohort. Occupational and environmental medicine 66(11), 754-8.
for workers at detergent factories, detergent enzyme exposure (proteases, alpha-amylase, lipase and cellulase) is associated with respiratory and allergic sensitization
 
some
 
F. G. B. G. J. van Rooy, R. Houba, N. Palmen, M. Zengeni, I. Sander, J. Spithoven, J. M. Rooyackers & D. J. J. Heederik. 2009. A cross-sectional study among detergent workers exposed to liquid detergent enzymes. Occupational and environmental medicine 66(11), 759-65.
for workers in detergent factories, detergent enzyme exposure is associated with occupational asthma
 
some
 
A. Brant, C. Zekveld, J. Welch, M. Jones, A. Newman Taylor & P. Cullinan. 2006. The prognosis of occupational asthma due to detergent enzymes: clinical, immunological and employment outcomes. Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology 36(4), 483-8.
for workers at detergent factories, detergent enzyme exposure (proteases, alpha-amylase, lipase and cellulase) is associated with respiratory and allergic sensitization
 
some
 
F. G. B. G. J. van Rooy, R. Houba, N. Palmen, M. Zengeni, I. Sander, J. Spithoven, J. M. Rooyackers & D. J. J. Heederik. 2009. A cross-sectional study among detergent workers exposed to liquid detergent enzymes. Occupational and environmental medicine 66(11), 759-65.
for workers at detergent factories, detergent enzyme exposure (proteases, alpha-amylase, lipase and cellulase) is associated with respiratory and allergic sensitization
 
some
 
F. G. B. G. J. van Rooy, R. Houba, N. Palmen, M. Zengeni, I. Sander, J. Spithoven, J. M. Rooyackers & D. J. J. Heederik. 2009. A cross-sectional study among detergent workers exposed to liquid detergent enzymes. Occupational and environmental medicine 66(11), 759-65.
6-month inhalation exposure to pre-spotter laundry detergent product was not associated with allergic sensitization
 
low
 
John A. Weeks, Robert A. Harper, Ronald A. Simon & Joel D. Burdick. 2011. Assessment of sensitization risk of a laundry pre-spotter containing protease. Cutaneous and ocular toxicology 30(4), 272-9.
European Union Ecolabel program data shows this substance has moderate acute toxicity to aquatic life
 
low
 
EU Ecolabel: Detergents Ingredients Database
Review did not find a link between consumer exposure to detergent enzymes and respiratory sensitization
 
low
 
Katherine Sarlo, Donald B. Kirchner, Esperanza Troyano, Larry A. Smith, Gregory J. Carr & Carlos Rodriguez. 2010. Assessing the risk of type 1 allergy to enzymes present in laundry and cleaning products: evidence from the clinical data. Toxicology 271(3), 87-93.
A review article reports this substance is non-genotoxic
 
low
 
David Basketter, Ninna Berg, Cees Broekhuizen, Mark Fieldsend, Sheila Kirkwood, Cornelia Kluin, Sophie Mathieu & Carlos Rodriguez. 2012. Enzymes in cleaning products: An overview of toxicological properties and risk assessment/management. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP.
The European Union Ecolabel program reports this substance is readily biodegradable.
 
low
 
EU Ecolabel: Detergents Ingredients Database
The European Union Ecolabel program reports this substance is anaerobically degradable.
 
low
 
EU Ecolabel: Detergents Ingredients Database
 
 
About the ratings About the ratings
EWG provides information on cleaning product ingredients from the published scientific... continue reading →
EWG provides information on cleaning product ingredients from published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors that determine actual health risks, if any. (Hide)
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