The risks posed by a substance are determined by both its hazardous properties (potential to cause adverse human health or ecological effects) and the amount or extent that people or the environment are exposed.
When needed, the Government applies risk management instruments under CEPA and other federal acts to help prevent or reduce potential harm.
The Government is proposing that all 16 substances in the Gas Oils and Kerosenes with Uses in Products Available to Consumers (GOKUPAC) Group may be harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment. The exposures of concern are dermal (skin contact) and inhalation (breathing in) exposure to these substances in self-care products (such as cosmetics, natural health products, and non-prescription drugs), automotive products, cleaning products, paints and coatings, do-it-yourself (DIY) products and other household products available to consumers. These substances are associated with various health effects.
Risk management actions are proposed to help reduce exposures of people in Canada to these substances.
The Government is also proposing that none of the substances in the GOKUPAC Group are harmful to the environment at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
About these substances
The assessment focuses on 16 substances, referred to collectively as the GOKUPAC Group under the third phase of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP).
The assessment summarized on this page focuses on the 15 gas oils and kerosenes that remain from the 42 initially prioritized for assessment and CAS RN 64771-72-8, which has similar physical and chemical properties as the other substances in the GOKUPAC Group.
For the human health assessment, the 16 substances in the GOKUPAC Group were separated into 2 subgroups on the basis of differences in aromatic content and their health effects. These subgroups are:
Subgroup 1: C9-C25 predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbons; and
According to information gathered by the Government, these substances are found in a wide variety of products available to consumers, including self-care products (such as cosmetics, natural health products, and non-prescription drugs), air fresheners, DIY products (for example, adhesives and lubricants), automotive care and maintenance products, paints and coatings, household cleaning products, and other miscellaneous products.
They are also used in Canada within industry as petroleum diluents, or in lubricants, petroleum production aids, printing inks, adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, or as industrial processing aids (for example, cleaners and degreasers).
In industrial uses, gas oils and kerosenes may be consumed at the refinery where they are produced, blended into substances leaving the refinery under different CAS RNs, or transported to other petroleum or non-petroleum sector facilities for use as feedstocks (raw material) or to be blended with other feedstocks (raw material), resulting in a new CAS RN.
Human and ecological exposures
The assessment indicates that people in Canada may be exposed to gas oil and kerosene substances from the environment (for example, air and drinking water), which may be due to releases from their use in industrial applications. People in Canada may also be exposed to these substances from their use as components in the manufacture of food packaging materials, or as components in incidental additives used in food processing establishments.
Exposures may also occur from the use of a wide variety of products available to consumers, as described above, through inhalation (breathing in), dermal contact (through the skin), and oral ingestion.
Substances in the GOKUPAC Group may be released to the environment, from their various uses, including in commercial and consumer products. The uses of substances in the group identified as having the highest potential for release to the environment are:
Formulation of lubricants or lubricant additives;
Formulation of various products including oil-water separation aids, printing inks, adhesives and sealants, processing aids, and paints and coatings;
The industrial application of certain formulated products including printing inks, and adhesives and sealants;
The use of processing aids by paper mills;
The use of processing aids by facilities in other sectors including plastics and rubber, fabricated metal, machinery, and transportation equipment; and
The application of biosolids containing gas oils and kerosenes to agricultural land.
Environmental concentrations and compositions of substances in the GOKUPAC Group in surface water, following wastewater treatment, or in soil were estimated for the uses of the substances with the highest potential for release.
Key health and ecological effects (hazard)
There were limited health effects (hazard) data specific to the gas oils and kerosenes in this assessment; therefore, data from similar substances (for example, kerosene-type aviation turbine fuels and LBPNs) were considered to inform the health effects assessment.
The critical health effects considered for characterizing risk associated with substances in the GOKUPAC Group are as follows:
For subgroup 1 (C9-C25 aliphatic hydrocarbons):
Effects on the blood system, and effects on the spleen and adrenal glands following short- and long-term dermal (skin contact) exposures.
Effects on the developing nervous system following short- and long-term oral and inhalation exposures.
For subgroup 2 (C9-C16 aromatic hydrocarbons):
Developmental and maternal effects following long-term oral exposure, short-term skin exposure, and short- and long-term inhalation exposure.
The European Commission classifies 7 CAS RNs from this group as "may cause cancer" and 1 CAS RN as "suspected of causing cancer". This is based on the likelihood of gas oils and kerosenes to contain polycyclic aromatic compounds [PACs, comprising polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aromatic hydrocarbons containing heteroatoms]. These substances are not considered to be carcinogenic (able to cause cancer) if they are refined to contain less than 3% by weight dimethyl sulfoxide -extractable PAC content. Since gas oil and kerosene substances in general may potentially contain PACs, products available to consumers that contain substances in the GOKUPAC Group were tested for levels of PAHs and only residual to low levels were found.
There are other potential components of these substances that may lead to health effects, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (referred to as BTEX). To address this concern, products available to consumers that contain gas oils and kerosenes were tested to determine levels of BTEX, which may result in exposures. On the basis of these product testing results, the BTEX content of substances in the GOKUPAC Group used to formulate products available to consumers is not considered to be of concern for human health.
Environmental effects considered in the ecological assessment were based on ecotoxicity studies and modelled data. Aquatic toxicity data for substances in the GOKUPAC Group indicate moderate to high hazard, while soil toxicity data indicate low hazard.
Consideration of subpopulations who may have greater susceptibility or greater exposure
There are groups of individuals within the Canadian population who, due to greater susceptibility or greater exposure, may be more vulnerable to experiencing adverse health effects from exposure to substances.
Certain subpopulations are routinely considered throughout the assessment process, such as infants, children, and people of reproductive age. For instance, age-specific exposures are routinely estimated and developmental and reproductive toxicity studies are evaluated for potential adverse health effects. For substances in the GOKUPAC Group, these subpopulations were taken into account in the risk assessment outcomes.
In addition, people living near industrial facilities were considered in the assessment and identified as having potential for higher exposures from the environment (air and drinking water).
Risk assessment outcomes
Assessments focus on information critical to determining whether substances are harmful to human health or the environment under CEPA. This is done by considering scientific information, including information, if available, on subpopulations who may have greater susceptibility or greater exposure, vulnerable environments and cumulative effects and by incorporation a weight of evidence approach and precaution.
Based upon a comparison of levels to which people in Canada may be exposed to substances in the GOKUPAC Group and levels associated with critical health effects, it was determined that these 16 substances may pose a risk to human health.
Specifically, it was determined that substances in subgroup 1 (C9-C25 aliphatic hydrocarbons) may pose a risk to human health from some cosmetics, natural health products, a non-prescription drug, automotive products, cleaning products, DIY products, paints and coatings, and other household products available to consumers in Canada.
Substances in subgroup 2 (C9-C16 aromatic hydrocarbons) may pose a risk to human health from automotive products, paints and coatings, and other household products available to consumers in Canada.
Based upon testing results described in the assessment, the risk from the BTEX content in these gas oils and kerosenes is considered to be low.
Based on testing results described in the assessment, it was determined that the PAH content in gas oils and kerosenes used to formulate products available to consumers is not considered a concern for human health.
For the ecological assessment, risk quotient analyses were performed to compare estimated concentrations of GOKUPAC substances in the environment to concentrations that may cause adverse effects. Both low- and high-aromatic content substances from this group were predicted not to be causing a risk to the environment when used in the above-mentioned applications. The maximum aromatic content considered for GOKUPAC substances used as processing aids in paper mills was 13% by weight.
Substances in the GOKUPAC Group may accumulate in sediment near points of discharge; however, there is no information on their environmental concentrations or impact of these substances to sediment-dwelling organisms.
It was determined that the 16 substances in the GOKUPAC Group are unlikely to be causing ecological harm at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
Proposed assessment conclusions
The Government is proposing that all 16 substances in the GOKUPAC Group may be harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
The Government is also proposing that these substances are not entering the environment at levels that may be harmful to the environment.
Preventive actions and risk reduction
If the proposed conclusion is confirmed in the final assessment, the Government will consider proposing to add all 16 substances in the GOKUPAC Group to Part 2 of Schedule 1 to CEPA. Adding a substance to Schedule 1enables the Government to take enforceable risk management actions under CEPA, using a 2-track approach to manage risks.
Toxic substances that pose the highest risk (that is, meet certain criteria) are added to Part 1 of Schedule 1. These are prioritized for total, partial or conditional prohibition.
Other toxic substances are added to Part 2 of Schedule 1 and are prioritized for pollution prevention.
Until regulations specifying criteria for the classification of substances that pose the highest risk or that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction are available, these 16 substances are proposed to be recommended for addition to Part 2 of Schedule 1. Following the availability of the criteria, the substances may be moved to Part 1 of Schedule 1, if applicable.
Publication of the risk management scope aims to inform stakeholders of proposed risk management options and initiate discussion about their development. The Government will consider the following actions to address human health concerns:
Regulatory or non-regulatory measures to help reduce dermal and inhalation exposures to GOKUPAC substances in subgroup 1 and subgroup 2 from certain DIY and other household products available to consumers including automotive products, construction adhesives, surface polish and cleaners, stains, coatings and paint products to levels that are protective of human health;
Measures to help reduce dermal and inhalation exposures to GOKUPAC substances in subgroup 1 from certain cosmetics such as skin moisturizers, deodorants and antiperspirants, hair products, hair removal products, makeup products, and perfumes to levels that are protective of human health by describing GOKUPAC substances in subgroup 1 as prohibited or restricted ingredients on the Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist; and
Measures to help reduce dermal exposures of the general population from certain natural health products and non-prescription drugs such as sunscreen products, sun protection factor liquid foundation and body lotion to levels that are protective of human health by describing GOKUPAC substances in subgroup 1 on the Natural Health Products Ingredients Database.
Information is being sought by the Government to inform risk management decision-making. Details can be found in the risk management scope, including where to send information during the public comment period, ending July 3, 2024.
Risk management actions may evolve through consideration of assessments and risk management actions published for other substances. This is to ensure effective, coordinated, and consistent risk management decision-making.
Additional considerations
Although the substances in the GOKUPAC Group are not considered harmful to the environment at levels of exposure considered in the assessment, these substances, with aromatic content greater than 13% by weight, may be associated with ecological effects of concern if they are used as processing aids at paper mills.
Use the Substances Search tool to find substances that are referenced in certain legislative or regulatory instruments or on Government of Canada websites.
Related resources
Substances in this group are found in products available to consumers. People in Canada should follow any safety warnings and directions related to the product and dispose of products responsibly.
Assessments conducted under CEPA focus on risks of exposure of the general population. Hazards related to chemicals used in the workplace are defined within the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). If a substance is harmful to the general population, it could also be of concern for individuals in situations where a higher volume of the substance is used or where the substance is used for a longer duration (for example, the workplace). The Government of Canada recognizes that it is the responsibility of the federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety organizations to coordinate legislation for the safe use of chemicals in the workplace. We are working to support this role by integrating the information, tools, and technical expertise of the CMP and Health Canada's Workplace Hazardous Products Program.
