Summary of public comments received on the draft screening assessment for dimethoxymethane
Comments on the draft screening assessment for dimethoxymethane, assessed under the Chemicals Management Plan, were received by an individual. Summarized public comments and responses are provided below, organized by topic:
Occupational exposures
| Summarized comment | Summarized response |
|---|---|
| Emissions resulting from dimethoxymethane (also referred to as methylal) oxidation or hydrolysis may influence the irritancy of inhaled compounds.It is recommended that information on occupational exposure and effects for pregnant women be included in the screening assessment. | Screening assessments conducted under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 are based on the best available data. Under the Chemicals Management Plan, screening assessments focus on risks of exposure to the general population, rather than risks of exposures in the workplace. The production of irritant by-products from dimethoxymethane (also referred to as methylal) metabolism in the body was considered in the screening assessment. The effects of methylal metabolism is of low concern to the health of the general population.The developmental and reproductive effects of methylal have been studied in animals and showed no adverse effects to the adult or foetus.Hazards related to chemicals used in the workplace are defined within the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).The Government of Canada is currently working with the provinces and territories to explore ways to enhance the protection of workers from exposure to chemicals by integrating and leveraging the information, tools, and/or technical expertise of the Chemicals Management Plan and Health Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Products Program. |
Risk management
| Summarized comment | Summarized response |
|---|---|
| Labelling regulations for cosmetics might be useful to avoid health hazards in pregnant women. | The screening assessment concludes that current levels of exposure do not pose a risk to the general population. All cosmetics sold in Canada must disclose ingredients on the product label, which allows consumers to identify and avoid cosmetics with ingredients that are of concern to them. No further risk management strategy is required at this time. |
Environmental fate
| Summarized comment | Summarized response |
|---|---|
| Additional information about the environmental fate and bioconcentration of dimethoxymethane (also referred to as methylal) was provided noting that the substance would rapidly volatilize in land or in water and should not bioconcentrate in fish and aquatic organisms. | Information submitted regarding environmental fate and bioconcentration is consistent with the data used in the Ecological Risk Classification of organic substances approach. Data considered in the approach can be found in the supporting document available from substances@ec.gc.ca |
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