Candidate Chemical List

Click on the link above to use DTSC's Candidate Chemical Database to search for chemicals included on our Candidate Chemical list.

What is the Candidate Chemicals list?

A Candidate Chemical is a chemical that exhibits a "hazard trait and/or an environmental or toxicological endpoint" and is either: (a) found on one or more of the authoritative lists specified in section 69502.2(a) of the Safer Consumer Products regulations (hereinafter, "authoritative lists"); or (b) listed by DTSC using the criteria specified in section 69502.2(b). The Safer Consumer Products regulations require DTSC to post an informational list of Candidate Chemicals on its Web site within 30 days after the effective date of the regulations (October 1, 2013); and to update the list periodically. (Cal. Code Regs, tit. 22, § 69502.3, subd. (a)). In the event there is a discrepancy between the criteria in section 69502.2 and the informational Candidate Chemicals list, the regulation controls (see section below to view or download the list).

Contents of the informational List

The purpose of this informational list is to inform stakeholders about chemicals that may be named as Chemicals of Concern if they are identified as part of a product-chemical combination that is listed as a Priority Product.

In addition to its name and Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS RN), the informational Candidate Chemicals list specifies:

• The basis for each chemical's listing, including the authoritative list name, and hazard traits.
• The chemical's group name, if applicable
• If the chemical is on the initial Candidate Chemicals list (see below)

Download Informational Candidate Chemicals List (MS Excel, PDF)

Exclusions from the Informational List

Some of the authoritative lists identified in section 69502.2(a) of the regulations include entries that are not chemicals (e.g., physical attributes that impair water bodies). Some authoritative lists also include chemicals that are most commonly used as pesticides and prescription drugs, both of which are statutorily excluded from the definition of "consumer product" and are outside the scope of the Safer Consumer Products regulatory program. DTSC has omitted non-chemicals, chemicals that are prescription drugs, and pesticides from the informational list of Candidate Chemicals. However, for informational purposes, the latter two categories will be included in the searchable Candidate Chemicals Database, as these chemicals could become Candidate Chemicals at a future date if they are used in products other than prescription drugs or pesticides.

Informational Initial Candidate Chemicals List

DTSC must make an "initial proposed Priority Products list" available for public review and comment within 180 days of the effective date of the regulations (Cal. Code Regs, tit. 22, § 69503.6, subd. (c)). The effective date of the regulations is October 1, 2013. Pursuant to subsection (a) of section 69503.6, DTSC may place a product on this list only if one or more Candidate Chemicals that are the basis for listing it as a priority product appear on 1) at least one hazard trait list (69502.2(a)(1)), and 2) on at least one exposure potential list (69502.2(a)(2)). The "initial" Candidate Chemicals List is composed of Candidate Chemicals that meet these criteria.

What Does this List Mean to Me?

There is a wide variety of chemicals on the informational Candidate Chemicals List, not all of which are found in consumer products. This informational list is NOT a list of Chemicals of Concern—a chemical only becomes a Chemical of Concern when it is the basis for a product being listed as a Priority Product pursuant to section 69503.5. Nevertheless, manufacturers of consumer products may wish to review this list to identify chemicals to evaluate whether viable safer alternatives to these Candidate Chemicals are available; they may also find it helpful to avoid "regrettable substitutions" of one Candidate Chemical for another. However, such actions are strictly voluntary when a Candidate Chemical has not yet been identified as a Chemical of Concern paired with a Priority Product. The informational list will also be of interest to consumers who wish to become more informed about the chemicals that may be present in the products they purchase.

How will the Candidate Chemicals list change over time?

In most cases, when a chemical is added to (or removed from) an authoritative list, it becomes (or ceases to be) a Candidate Chemical. DTSC plans to undertake this review and updating process at least once per year.

Two of the source lists cited in subsection (a) of section 69502.2 of the regulations—the 12th Report on Carcinogens, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals and Updated Tables—refer to specific versions of published reports and as a result, new chemicals identified in later versions of these documents will become Candidate Chemicals only if/when DTSC amends section 69502.2 to cite the newer document.  

DTSC may also add or remove individual chemicals or chemical source lists to/from the Candidate Chemicals list pursuant to section 69502.3 by adopting new regulations.  New regulations could either revise the authoritative sources lists specified in section 69502.2(a), or add or remove individual chemicals based on the criteria in section 69502.2(b).  In cases where Candidate Chemicals are added or removed through adoption of regulations, DTSC will update the informational list only after the regulations take effect.

Anyone wishing DTSC to revise the Candidate Chemicals list may submit a petition to DTSC.  DTSC will review petitions for completeness and technical merit using the criteria specified in articles 2 and 4 of the Safer Consumer Products regulations, and will post any proposed revisions to the Candidate Chemicals list on the DTSC Web page for public review and comment before adopting regulations to enact them.  Note that the Safer Consumer Products regulations do not allow petitions to remove an entire chemicals list until three years after the effective date of the Safer Consumer Products regulations (i.e., October 1, 2016).