TALC: Draft Screening Assessment & Risk Management

Posted December 13, 2018

Draft Screening Assessment and Risk Management Scope Document Published for Talc

By: Teri Dickinson, Manager, Regulatory Affairs Group, email

Health Canada and Environment & Climate Change Canada have released their Draft Screening Assessment (DSA) and Draft Risk Management Scope document for Talc. The official publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I will be December 8.

Talc is present in approximately 8500 self-care products in Canada, including approximately 200 non-prescription drug products, approximately 2000 natural health products, and approximately 6500 cosmetic products. In addition, there are approximately 1300 prescription drugs containing talc.

The assessment proposes that Talc be found CEPA Toxic on the basis of health concerns (that it meets criteria set out in Section 64 (c).

The DSA concludes that Talc may pose a risk to human health on two fronts:

Inhalation risk (from exposures to Talc particles in powder type products) and;
Ovarian cancer risk (based on possible links to ovarian cancer based on use in women in the perineal region)

The government has determined that there is no risk to the environment.

If you wish to submit a response to the assessment, comments may be put forward to the Minister of the Environment within 60 days of publication.

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