SILICA, CRYSTALLINE (QUARTZ)
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About the ratings
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any.
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About SILICA, CRYSTALLINE (QUARTZ): Quartz is a mineral and the most common form of silicon dioxide or crystalline silica. Respiratory exposure to large quantities of crystalline silica in the work-place setting has been associated with ... read more
About SILICA, CRYSTALLINE (QUARTZ): Quartz is a mineral and the most common form of silicon dioxide or crystalline silica. Respiratory exposure to large quantities of crystalline silica in the work-place setting has been associated with pulmonary silicosis, a severe lung disease. Long-term, high-volume occupational exposure has been also linked to other disorders such as progressive systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, glomerulonephritis (renal disease) and vasculitis. Research is ongoing on the relevance of these systemic effects to silica exposure in non-occupational settings via consumer products (Steenland 2005; Stratta 2001).
Synonym(s): QUARTZ, ROSE QUARTZ POWDER; QUARTZ PARTICLES; QUARTZ (SIO2) ; MICRONIZED ROSE QUARTZ; AGATE; AMETHYST; CHALCEDONY; CHERTS; CRYSTALLINE SILICA; CRYSTALLIZED SILICON DIOXIDE; D & D
Cancer |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Known human carcinogen | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
| Possible human carcinogen | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
| Possible human carcinogen | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Cancer - strong evidence | |
| Cancer - moderate evidence - Esophageal | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
| Possible carcinogen | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
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| Cancer - limited evidence | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
| Cancer - limited evidence | | |
Allergies/immunotoxicity |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Human immune system toxicant - strong evidence | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
| show more |
| Limited evidence of immune toxicity | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database | |
Persistence and bioaccumulation |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
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| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Known human respiratory toxicant | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
| Classified as a high human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Possible human respiratory toxicant | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
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| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | | |
Biochemical or cellular level changes |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Cancer - strong evidence - immune system | CHE Toxicant and Disease Database |
Ecotoxicology |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel |
|
Enhanced skin absorption |
| Type of Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin | Nanomaterial Database |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
references |
| government/industry list/academic study
| reference
|
| Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens | ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) 2008. ACGIH cancer classification system. www.acgih.org. |
| CHE Toxicant and Disease Database | CHE (The Collaborative on Health and the Environment). 2006. Toxicant and Disease Database. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures). |
| Nanomaterial Database | NanoWerk. 2007. Nanomaterial Database. Available online: http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php |
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