Health Concerns of the Ingredient:
Overall Hazard
Other LOW concerns: Data gaps, Ecotoxicology
About STEARALKONIUM CHLORIDE: Stearalkonium Chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt.
Function(s): Antistatic Agent; PRESERVATIVE; SURFACTANT
Synonym(s): BENZENEMETHANAMINIUM, N,N-DIMETHYL-N-OCTADECYL-, CHLORIDE; BENZENEMETHANAMINIUM, N,NDIMETHYLNOCTADECYL, CHLORIDE; BENZYL DIMETHYL STEARYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDE; BENZYLDIMETHYL (OCTADECYL) AMMONIUM CHLORIDE; CHLORIDE BENZENEMETHANAMINIUM, N,N-DIMETHYL-N-OCTADECYL-; N,N-DIMETHYL-N-OCTADECYL- CHLORIDE BENZENEMETHANAMINIUM; N,N-DIMETHYL-N-OCTADECYLBENZENEMETHANAMINIUM CHLORIDE; STEARYL DIMETHYL BENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDE; 2B (ONIUM COMPOUND) ; AMMONYX 4; AMMONYX 4002
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Known human toxicant or allergen | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics) |
| Human toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics) |
Use restrictions
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - | CosIng |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| One or more animal studies show effects at moderate doses | Vanessa E |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| 3 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results -> | NLM PubMed |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data Sources
| AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2012. Asthmagen compilation - AEOC exposures codes. |
| AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2012. Asthmagen compilation - AEOC exposures codes. |
| CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ . |
| NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov. |
| Vanessa E. Melin, Haritha Potineni, Patricia Hunt, Jodi Griswold, Bill Siems, Stephen R. Werre & Terry C. Hrubec. 2014. Exposure to common quaternary ammonium disinfectants decreases fertility in mice. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) 50, 163-70 |
| Vanessa E. Melin, Travis E. Melin, Brian J. Dessify, Christina T. Nguyen, Caroline S. Shea & Terry C. Hrubec. 2015. Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants Cause Subfertility in Mice by Targeting both Male and Female Reproductive Processes. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.). |
Products Containing the Ingredient
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EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below 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 which determine actual health risks, if any.
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