IRON OXIDES
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About the ratings
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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Function/use(s): Colorant; COSMETIC COLORANT
About IRON OXIDES: Iron oxides are inorganic chemicals used as colorants.
Synonym(s): BLACK OXIDE OF IRON; BROWN IRON OXIDE; CI 77489; IRON OXIDE RED 10-34-PC-2045; RED IRON OXIDE; SYNTHETIC IRON OXIDE; YELLOW IRON OXIDE; YELLOW OXIDE OF IRON; IRON BLACK OXIDE; IRON YELLOW OXIDE; IRON OXIDE
Persistence and bioaccumulation |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans |
|
National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife |
|
National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| show more |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity |
|
Klaassen, C |
| show more |
| Classified as a low human health priority |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
Cancer |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen |
|
Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Enhanced skin absorption |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Suspected nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin |
|
Nanomaterial Database |
Data gaps |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| 4,688 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
see search results ->
|
|
PubMed |
Multiple, additive exposure sources |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
|
FDA Everything Added to Food |
Ecotoxicology |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| FDA Color Additive Status | SYNTHETIC IRON OXIDE | Cosmetics: U; Food: Y; Drugs: Y; Eye: U |
| FDA Color Additive Status | IRON OXIDES | Cosmetics: Y; Food: U; Drugs: U; Eye: Y |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FERRIC OXIDE | • ASP |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | IRON OXIDE | • ASP |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | IRON OXIDE (FE2O3) | ,,Low-Health Priority,Y-Persistent,,,,,, |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | IRON OXIDE (FE3O4) | ,,Low-Health Priority,Y-Persistent,,,,,, |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | IRON OXIDE | ,,,Y-Persistent,,,,,, |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | C.I. PIGMENT BLACK 11 | ,,,Y-Persistent,,,,,, |
| CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook | IRON OXIDES | Color Additives - Exempt from Batch Certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | IRON OXIDE | SD: No;PE: 10 mg/m3, fume;BA: Yes;TL: 5 mg/m3, as Fe, dust and fume;ID: 2500 mg/m3, as Fe;MA: 1.5 mg/m3, respirable fraction; |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | FERRIC OXIDE | IARC GROUP 3 |
| Nanomaterial Database | IRON OXIDE | potential nano-scale ingredient |
| Klaassen, C | IRON OXIDE FUME | Respiratory Toxicity Hazards: suspected |
references |
| government/industry list/academic study
| reference
|
| FDA Color Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Color Additive Status List. September 2006. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook | CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association). 2006. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, 11th Edition. Color Additive Information. Washington, DC. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures). |
| Nanomaterial Database | NanoWerk. 2007. Nanomaterial Database. Available online: http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Klaassen, C., M. Amdur and J. Doull (eds.). Casarett and Doull |
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