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QUATERNIUM-15 (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER)
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate), and Contamination concerns (high)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| body wash/cleanser | 8 products |
| conditioner | 2 products |
| facial cleanser | 1 products |
| detangler | 1 products |
| makeup remover | 1 products |
Contamination concerns
| Chemical |
|---|
| FORMALDEHYDE |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| A similar compound is a known human toxicant or allergen | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics) 2012. Asthmagen compilation - AEOC exposures codes. |
| Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Substance has an irritant potential for skin and eye | Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) OPINION ON Quaternium-15 (cis-isomer), COLIPA n° P63 December 2011. |
Use restrictions
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| European SCCS: The continued use of quartenium-15 in cosmetic products may not be safe for the consumers. | Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) OPINION ON Quaternium-15 (cis-isomer), COLIPA n° P63 December 2011. |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern | 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 |
| One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
Cancer
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Cancer - limited evidence | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99. |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| A peer-reviewed publication reports quaternary ammonium compounds cause reproductive toxicity in animals. | 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 |
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 |
| 94 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Informational
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Determined safe for use in cosmetics up to a specified concentration limit | JACT 5(3):61-101, 1986 (original report); IJT 29(Suppl 2):98-114, 2010; IJT 36(Suppl 2):14-58, 2017 |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| 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.
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) OPINION ON Quaternium-15 (cis-isomer), COLIPA n° P63 December 2011.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99.
- 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
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- JACT 5(3):61-101, 1986 (original report); IJT 29(Suppl 2):98-114, 2010; IJT 36(Suppl 2):14-58, 2017
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