Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada conducted an assessment of talc and concluded that it is entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger to human life or health. A risk has been identified in particular in the case of perineal or inhalation exposure to certain cosmetic products. Canada is therefore considering measures to reduce these types of exposure.
The major uses in Canada align with major global uses of talc. Talc is a permitted food additive and is an ingredient in self-care products.
The results of the assessment conducted under the aegis of the Canadian government’s Ministers of the Environment and Health were published on 23 April 2021.
The conclusions of the assessment
Considering all available lines of evidence presented in this screening assessment, there is a low risk of harm to the environment from talc, as it is not entering the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity or that constitute or may constitute a danger to the environment on which life depends.
No critical health effects were identified via the oral or dermal routes of exposure. As such, oral exposure to talc resulting from food intake and oral and dermal exposure from the use of self-care products are not of concern.
Inhalation exposure
?on-cancer lung effects (e.g., inflammation, impaired lung function, fibrosis) were identified as a critical health effect. There is potential for inhalation exposure to talc powder during the use of certain self-care products (e.g., …
