1,4-Dioxane is a chemical contaminant formed in trace amounts as a byproduct during the manufacturing process of detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers and some solvents, which are widely used ingredients of commercial products such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, cosmetics, and cleaning agents. This has led to detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane in the final products resulting in consumer exposure. 1,4-Dioxane has been identified as a potential human carcinogen. A 2016 report by the Department of Health and Human Services lists 1,4-dioxane as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

(1) The presence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic products is already regulated in several countries around the world. State by state regulation of acceptable concentrations in cosmetics is anticipated, but no limits have been established in the U.S., thus far.

This work shows development of a method for determination of 1,4-dioxane in consumer products using static headspace with GC-MS/MS detection.