Ottawa identifies eight chemicals toxic to humans

OTTAWA — Eight chemicals have been deemed “toxic to human health” following months of assessment as part of a government-run program to evaluate the safety of household products. The list also included one chemical evaluated as toxic to the environment. A chemical called 1,2-Benzenediol, sometimes known as Catechol, was listed. It appears in solutions used to develop photos and has been used in the past as an oxidizing agent in hair dyes. Catechol has been listed on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredients Hotlist prohibiting its use in cosmetic products since 2007. Toluene diisocyanate, also known as TDIs, was also one of the chemicals listed. It is an industrial chemical that has not been manufactured by any company in Canada in a quantity above the necessary reporting level of 100 kg in 2006. But it is imported into the... [read full story]