TOLUENE
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (high), Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high), Ecotoxicology (low), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high), 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
nail polish | 5 products |
Contamination concerns
Chemical |
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BENZENE |
Use restrictions
Concern | Reference |
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Violation of industry recommendations - Unsafe for use in cosmetics | International Fragrance Association Codes & Standards |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | CosIng |
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Restrictions on impurities recommended by industry safety panel | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Known human respiratory toxicant | EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants |
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Limited evidence of kidney toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
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 |
One or more animal studies show any effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Categorized List of Inert Pesticide Ingredients |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
reproductive - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
Concern | Reference |
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Classified as skin irritant | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Human any irritant - strong evidence | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Occupational hazards
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to moderate doses | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Possible human developmental toxicant | California EPA Proposition 65 |
Human developmental toxicant - strong evidence | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Ecotoxicology
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Considered safe based on assumption of low absorption | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Insufficient data to determine safety | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
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 |
17631 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Miscellaneous
Concern | Reference |
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Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Cancer
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Neurotoxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
nervous system - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Informational
Concern | Reference |
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Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data Sources
- IFRA (International Fragrance Association). 2006. Codes and Standards.
- 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/ .
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005. Office of Air. The 112(b)1 Hazardous Air Pollutants List (as modified). Last modified: 12 Dec 2005.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1987 & 2005. Office of Pesticide Programs. Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients in Pesticide Products - Categorized List of Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients.
- CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
- California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- 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).
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