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 of exposure to people or the environment.
When needed, the Government implements risk management measures under CEPA and other federal acts to help prevent or reduce potential harm.
The Government is proposing that 17 of the 27 substances in the Low Boiling Point Naphthas (LBPNs) Group may be harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment. The exposures of concern are from dermal (skin contact) and/or inhalation exposure to these LBPNs in certain cosmetics and do-it-yourself (DIY) or home improvement products available to consumers. These substances are associated with various effects on human health.
Risk management actions are proposed to help reduce exposures of people in Canada to these 17 LBPNs, as detailed below.
The Government is also proposing that the other 10 substances in this group are not harmful to human health, and that none of these 27 LBPN substances are harmful to the environment, at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
About these substances
The assessment focuses on 27 substances that are a subset of the Low Boiling Point Naphthas (LBPNs) Group under the third phase of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP).
C6-C9 aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents (subgroup 3, 7 substances), and
LBPNs with no identified uses in products available to consumers (subgroup 4, 10 substances).
Within each subgroup, the CAS RNs are assumed to be interchangeable with respect to their use in categories of products available to consumers, where applicable.
According to information gathered by the Government, these substances are used in Canada within the petroleum industry, including at refineries where they are produced and blended with other substances before transport to other facilities for use as feedstocks (raw materials).
The exposure and risks associated with the petroleum industry uses (that is, refineries and upgraders) of these 27 LBPN substances are considered to be similar to that of the site-restricted LBPNs and industry-restricted LBPNs that have already been assessed under CEPA. Those LBPNs were concluded not to be harmful to human health or to the environment. Therefore, the exposures and risks associated with petroleum industry uses are not further considered in the assessment summarized on this page.
Several of the 27 LBPNs are also used in other chemical and consumer industries that are non-petroleum sectors. They are used as solvents, and many of them (except for LBPNs in subgroup 4) are present in products available to consumers including cosmetics, automotive products, paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, household cleaning products, and as formulants in pest control products. The majority of products they are found in are considered to be do-it-yourself (DIY) products.
Some of these LBPNs may also be used in the manufacture of food packaging materials, and in lubricants or cleaners used in food processing establishments (referred to as incidental additives). There were no identified uses of the subgroup 4 LBPNs in products available to consumers, food packaging materials or incidental additives. Therefore, only non-petroleum industrial uses of these substances were considered in the assessment.
Human and ecological exposures
People in Canada may be exposed to these 27 LBPNs from the environment (air and water) due to releases from their use as solvents in non-petroleum industries.
People in Canada may also be exposed to the LBPN substances in subgroups 1, 2, and 3 from their use in cosmetics and mostly DIY-type products available to consumers, such as adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings, as examples.
LBPNs may be released to the environment, primarily to air, from their various uses, including in commercial and consumer products. Environmental concentrations of LBPNs were estimated where they had the highest potential for release to the environment, or release in proximity to people in Canada, namely:
the use of products available to consumers, such as paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, personal care and cosmetic products, household cleaners, and automotive care products,
the formulation of products available to consumers and industrial applications, and
the pulp and paper sector when these substances are used as processing aids.
The analysis included predicted concentrations in the aquatic environment following wastewater treatment associated with releases from these uses. As well, it examined predicted concentrations of LBPNs in soils following the application of biosolids (from wastewater treatment facilities) to land.
Finally, because of their volatility, terrestrial wildlife may be exposed to LBPNs through inhalation.
Key health and ecological effects (hazard)
To help inform the health effects characterization in the assessment, international and national reports on these substances were considered, among other sources of information.
Based on available data, the LBPNs present in products available to consumers contain less than 0.1% benzene according to available data; therefore, effects associated with benzene were not considered applicable.
Based on laboratory studies, the critical effects considered for characterizing risk associated with these LBPNs are as follows:
for subgroup 1(C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents), effects on the nervous system, and developmental effects, through inhalation exposure, as well as effects on the peripherial nervous system through skin exposure;
for subgroup 2 (C9 aromatic hydrocarbon solvents), general effects on the body and developmental effects (through inhalation exposure) as well as effects on the liver and kidneys (dermal or oral exposure); and,
for subgroup 4 (LBPNs with no identified uses in products available to consumers), effects similar to those in subgroups 1 to 3.
There were limited health effects (hazard) data for subgroup 3 (C6-C9 aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents), therefore, a comparative approach using representative UVCBs, called read-across, was used to inform the health effects assessment. As a result of this analysis, reproductive and developmental effects (for short-term exposures) and the potential to cause cancer (for long-term exposures) were identified as critical effects for characterizing the risk to human health for substances in subgroup 3.
Environmental effects considered in the ecological assessment included observed and modelled data. Modelled data of aquatic toxicity for LBPNs was used to estimate potential toxicity in the most sensitive species.
On the basis of the ecological assessment, LBPNs with higher aromatic proportion are more hazardous to aquatic organisms than mainly aliphatic LBPNs. As well, some larger LBPNs (that is, C9 to C12) may biomagnify (build up in organisms at each stage of the food chain) in aquatic or terrestrial food webs.
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. These subpopulations were taken into account in the risk assessment outcomes for substances of the LBPNs Group.
In addition, the potential for elevated exposure for people living near non-petroleum industrial facilities that may release some of these substances was considered in the assessment.
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 incorporating a weight of evidence approach and precaution.
Based upon a comparison of levels to which people in Canada may be exposed to C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents (subgroup 1, 9 substances) from certain cosmetics and other products available to consumers, and levels associated with critical effects, it was found that these substances may pose a risk to human health.
Similarly, a comparison of levels to which people in Canada may be exposed to C9 aromatic hydrocarbon solvents (subgroup 2, 1 substance) from certain cosmetics and other products available to consumers including nail polish, nail adhesive, spray paint, stain, floor polish, and lacquer, and critical effect levels, it was determined that this substance may pose a risk to human health.
It was also determined that LBPNs in subgroup 3 (C6-C9 aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, 7 substances) may pose a risk to human health, based upon a comparison of levels to which people in Canada may be exposed to these substances from certain products available to consumers, and levels associated with critical effects.
The risk to human health from exposure to the 10 LBPN substances in subgroup 4 was found to be low, based on information in the assessment.
As a result of the ecological assessment, it was determined that these 27 LBPNs are considered unlikely to be causing ecological harm to aquatic and soil organisms or to terrestrial wildlife at levels of exposure considered in the assessment.
Proposed assessment conclusions
The Government is proposing that the 17 substances in the LBPN subgroups C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents (subgroup 1; CAS RNs 8030-30-6, 8032-32-4, 8052-41-3, 64475-85-0, 64741-41-9, 64741-65-7, 64742-48-9, 64742-82-1 and 64742-88-7), C9 aromatic solvents (subgroup 2; CAS RN 64742-95-6) and C6-C9 aliphatic solvents (subgroup 3; CAS RN 64741-66-8, 64741-84-0, 64742-49-0, 64742-89-8, 68410-97-9, 68647-60-9 and 426260-76-6) which occur in products available to consumers, may be harmful to human health at levels of exposure considered in the assessment. The 10 LBPN substances in subgroup 4 with no identified uses in products available to consumers (CAS RNs 64741-68-0, 64741-92-0, 64741-98-6, 68333-81-3, 68512-78-7, 68513-03-1, 68553-14-0, 68603-08-7, 68920-06-9, and 70693-06-0) are not proposed to be harmful to human health.
The Government is also proposing that these 27 LBPNs are not entering the environment at levels that are harmful.
Preventive actions and risk reduction
If the proposed conclusion is confirmed in the final assessment, the Government will consider proposing to add the 17 substances in the LBPN subgroups C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents (subgroup 1, 9 substances), C9 aromatic solvents (subgroup 2, 1 substance), and C6-C9 aliphatic solvents (subgroup 3, 7 substances) to Part 2 of Schedule 1 to CEPA. Adding a substance to Schedule 1 enables 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.
Regulations specifying criteria for the classification of substances that pose the highest risk or that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction may be developed. When criteria are available, some substances considered for addition to Part 2 of Schedule 1 may instead be considered for addition to Part 1 of Schedule 1.
Publication of the risk management scope aims to inform stakeholders of proposed risk management options and initiate discussions about their development. The Government of Canada is considering:
measures to reduce dermal and/or inhalation exposures of the general population to LBPN substances in subgroup 1 (C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents, 9 substances) and subgroup 2 (C9 aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, 1 substance) from certain cosmetic products including hair oil, body lotion, nail polish, nail adhesive, and other cosmetic specialty products (that is, for removing residue after using a hair removal product and hair extensions adhesive) to levels that are protective of human health by describing LBPNs in subgroup 1 and subgroup 2 as prohibited or restricted ingredients on the Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist; and
regulatory or non-regulatory measures to reduce dermal and/or inhalation exposures of the general population to the LBPN substances in subgroup 1 (C9-C14 hydrocarbon solvents, 9 substances), subgroup 2 (C9 aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, 1 substance), and subgroup 3 (C6-C9 aliphatic solvents, 7 substances) from certain products available to consumers, including adhesives, paints, coatings, degreasers, automotive care, shoe care, adhesive remover, and electronics cleaner, to levels that are protective of human health.
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 May 15, 2024.
Risk management options may evolve through consideration of assessments and risk management options or actions published for other substances. This is to ensure effective, coordinated, and consistent risk management decision-making.
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
LBPN 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/or technical expertise of the CMP and Health Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Products Program.
