By Healthcare Facilities Today

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added more than 130 chemicals to its Safer Chemical Ingredients List, including 119 chemicals that use fragrance for commercial and consumer cleaning products.

“Fragrances are an important yet complex part of many consumer cleaning products. By adding fragrance and other chemicals to the Safer Chemical Ingredients List, EPA continues its commitment to help companies make safer products and provide the public with greater access to chemical information,” James Jones, acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a press release.

According to the EPA, the Safer Chemical Ingredients List, which now contains 602 chemicals, serves as a resource for manufacturers interested in making safer products, health and environmental advocates seeking to encourage the use of safer chemicals, and consumers seeking information on the ingredients in safer chemical products.  

It also serves as a guide for Design for the Environment (DfE) labeled products, which must meet EPA’s standards for protecting human health and the environment. 

More than 2,500 products are certified under the DfE Standard for Safer Products including all-purpose cleaners, laundry and dishwasher detergents, window cleaners and many other products. 

The Safer Chemical Ingredients list was created in September 2012 and EPA continues to update the list with additional fragrances and chemicals.

For more information on the Safer Chemical Ingredients List, visit www.epa.gov/dfe/saferingredients.htm.