TALC
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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): Abrasive; Absorbent; Anticaking Agent; Bulking Agent; Opacifying Agent; Skin Protectant;Slip Modifier; SKIN PROTECTING
About TALC: Talc is a powdered native, hydrous magnesium silicate sometimes containing a small portion of aluminum silicate. Talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity an ... read more
About TALC: Talc is a powdered native, hydrous magnesium silicate sometimes containing a small portion of aluminum silicate. Talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity and cancer. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that also can be toxic and carcinogenic.
Synonym(s): COSMETIC TALC; FRENCH CHALK; TALC (MG3H2 (SIO3) 4) ; AGALITE; ASBESTINE; B 13; B 13 (MINERAL) ; B 13 (MINERAL) ; B 9; B 9 (TALC) ; BEAVER WHITE 200
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as medium human health priority |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| show more |
| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity |
products that may be aerosolized (airborne) |
A Relational Database of Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases | |
Data gaps |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel |
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| 18,698 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
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PubMed |
Ecotoxicology |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Multiple, additive exposure sources |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
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FDA Everything Added to Food |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
|
FDA Food Additive Status |
Persistence and bioaccumulation |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | TALC | • GRAS - CFR182.2437 (magnesium silicate) |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | TALC | • o |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | TALC, NONASBESTIFORM | • o |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | TALC | • ASP |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | TALC (MG3H2(SIO3)4) | Y-Categorization,Y-Human health,Moderate-Health Priority,Y-Persistent,,,,,, |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | TALC (CONTAINING NO ASBESTOS) | SD: No;FI: Yes;TL: 2 mg/m3, respirable fraction;ID: 1000 mg/m3; |
| A Relational Database of Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases | TALC | Respiratory Toxicity Hazards: suspected |
Other RTECS® classifications [shown for informational purposes only] |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 | TALC | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA)
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| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | TALC | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA)
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| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | TALC | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA)
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| RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V 1977 | TALC | • skin - Primary skin irritant ( human )
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references |
| government/industry list/academic study
| reference
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| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| 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. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | A Relational Database of Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases. Browse Haz-Map by Adverse Effects http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/hazmapadv.html, Klaassen, C., M. Amdur and J. Doull (eds.). Casarett and Doull |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V 1977 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V.A., and P. Lazar, eds., New York, Academic Press, Inc. 1977 -,127,1977 |
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