Contribution of household and personal care products to 1,4-dioxane contamination of drinking water

Although 1,4-dioxane contamination of drinking water is primarily associated with historical disposal practices and unintended industrial releases, the abundant presence of 1,4-dioxane in personal care and cleaning products and subsequent releases to domestic wastewater serves as a constant source of contamination of water resources. Drinking water contamination of 1,4-dioxane from the use of consumer products is currently underappreciated, in many cases unrecognized, and, as a result, few efforts have been dedicated to understanding this ongoing issue. A few U.S. states, like New York and California, are proactively addressing this important issue by acknowledging the need to restrict 1,4-dioxane in consumer products. In this review we summarize the (i) occurrence of 1,4-dioxane in consumer products, (ii) pathways by which consumer products can contaminate drinking water, (iii) current policies surrounding 1,4-dioxane in consumer products, and (iv) future research needs.