Gradient

Consumer Products

Overview
Example Projects

Overview

The educated consumer has a heightened awareness of the need for safety in the products they use each day. Simultaneously, consumer products – particularly those used by children – are facing increased regulation under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and multiple more established state regulations such as California's Proposition 65. There is also increased concern over the presence of personal care product ingredients in surface and drinking water. To proactively address the concerns of the public and regulators, many companies have created product stewardship and corporate responsibility programs. Gradient's scientific expertise and regulatory knowledge can assist consumer product manufacturers with developing product stewardship programs, evaluating and communicating the safety of products to the public, and meeting the requirements of both well-established and new regulations.

Gradient product safety experience includes:

  • Toys
  • Nanotechnology materials
  • Plastics
  • Building components
  • Cleaning products
  • Printing/copying inks
  • Apparel and textiles
  • Art supplies
  • Electronic devices
  • Plumbing/faucets
  • Alloys/metal components
  • Medical devices
  • Oil and gas exploration products

Consumer Products

Example Projects

Lead-based Paint in Consumer Products

Full Description

Gradient evaluated the potential exposure to and risks associated with lead-based paint found on imported consumer products facing a national recall. We advised our client on appropriate laboratory analyses for evaluating exposure, estimated a child's potential exposures to lead via hand-to-mouth contact, and performed blood lead modeling to determine the impact of exposure.

Ecological Risk Screening for Personal Care Products

Full Description

Gradient developed a screening protocol to evaluate ecological risks from ingredients in personal care products such as skin lotions and cleansers. The protocol involved using QSAR models and toxicity databases to enable rapid screening of large numbers of organic and inorganic chemicals without generating new data. Our screening procedure was used to identify ingredients that might pose environmental risks and to determine if the use of one substitute ingredient was warranted.

Proposition 65 Evaluation of Coal Tar Shampoos

Full Description

For a California Proposition 65 labeling lawsuit, Gradient analyzed human skin cancer risks from dermal exposure to coal tar in shampoos. Our evaluation included a dose-response analysis of a mouse skin-painting bioassay, extrapolation of the observed results from mice to humans, and a reconciliation of the extrapolated results with data from epidemiology studies.

Safe Disposal of Commercial Products

Full Description

Gradient developed a guidance document for proper disposal of cleaning and floor care products. We evaluated disposal to large centralized treatment plants (POTWs) and smaller decentralized systems (i.e., septic systems) and described how the cleaning products could interfere with wastewater treatment processes if disposed of improperly.

Product Recall of Plastic Mug Inserts

Full Description

For an importer of novelty products found to contain a carcinogenic chemical, Gradient assessed the potential exposure of consumers using the products, evaluated the soundness of the analytical testing, and advised the client on the scientific merits of a product recall.