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DEA, MEA and TEA: In creamy and foaming products such as moisturizer, shampoo. Can react to form cancer-causing nitrosamines. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

Suzuki, DEA, MEA and TEA



David Suzuki, Canada's high priest of all things natural is at it again, raising money that is. The David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) is mailing out requests for donations with statements like "We must stem the flow of toxic chemicals into our bodies..." and a "Sustainable Shoppers Guide" that cautions you about "a dirty dozen ingredients to avoid in your cosmetics". Today's message is about the "EAs."

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The Myth

It is obvious, neither Suzuki nor his disciples at the foundation know much about chemistry. Let's look at the third item on their list of the bad dozen. The "guide" says:
DEA, MEA and TEA: In creamy and foaming products such as moisturizer, shampoo. Can react to form cancer-causing nitrosamines. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.
In the backgrounder to the pamphlet, the DSF further says: "DEA can also react with nitrites in cosmetics to form nitrosamines, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies as a possible human carcinogen. Nitrites are sometimes added to products as anticorrosive agents or can be present as contaminants." Further on, it reads: "The degradation of some chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics can release nitrites when the product is exposed to air. "

Facts about DEA, MEA, and TEA

DEA is an acronym for diethanolamine. As to what MEA and TEA stand for, one has to consult the DSF's backgrounder to this pamphlet. There it explains: MEA stands for monoethanolamine and TEA for triethanolamine. As their names suggest, the three compounds are amines with one, two, and three ethanolamine groups attached to the nitrogen atom, respectively. About DEA, Health Canada states: "DEA is not allowed in cosmetics in Canada." About MEA and TEA, Health Canada states: "Scientific reviews have concluded that other ethanolamines like triethanolamine and monoethanolamine are safe for use in cosmetics designed for brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with the skin, the concentration of ethanolamines should not exceed 5%."

Facts about Nitrites

Nitrites are widely used in food preparation. In fact, there are very few meat products which do not contain nitrite. Simply look at the list of ingredients on any package of meat or sausage that you buy in any supermarket. You will be hard-pressed to find any which does not list nitrite (most commonly as sodium nitrite) among the ingredients. The addition of nitrites in meat products has been debated for nearly a century. Their purpose is largely for "cosmetic" reasons; they prevent the premature discolorization of the "red" in red meat products to a grayish colour. The health agencies in the USA, Canada, and other countries allow its use in food items.

Cosmetics and other Products

In contrast to many food items, nitrites are not part of any cosmetic products that may contain DEA, MEA or TEA. Therefore, unless you eat the hair shampoo, or place the steak or sausage (which may contain some nitrite) on your scalp, you don't need to worry about any possible reaction between nitrite and the ethanolamines forming any nitrosamines. TEA is also a major component in numerous pharmaceutical products, such as for topical treatment of stings and bites from bees, wasps, mosquitoes, as well as in arthritis and pain relief crèmes, etc.

Environmental Effects

The three ethanolamines (DEA, MEA and TEA) are all readily biodegraded and so are their cocamide derivatives (which are also listed in the DSF backgrounder). Therefore, they should not enter our environment from any wastewater treatment plant if it is functioning properly. Even if there were some spills or carry-through, these compounds would not accumulate in the environment or the aquatic foodchain. Furthermore, all three ethanolamines have very low toxicity to aquatic organisms. Nitrite and nitrate ions are natural components of the air and water, created from gaseous nitrogen in the air and other nitrogen materials in water. In fact, without them no life would exist on earth. All living matter has nitrogen containing amino acids and related compounds as structural building blocks of their bodies and thus need the ubiquitous natural nitrites and nitrates to form.

Conclusion

The Suzuki organization is trying to cash in on the widespread fear of "chemicals" with strange names, with innuendos, unproven associations and implications. This fear-mongering is bordering on superstition. If you prefer facts over fiction, may I suggest: Rather than sending your money to that organization, RECYCLE their GUIDE and BUY a copy of my book CONVENIENT MYTHS instead.


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Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser -- Bio and Archives

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is author of CONVENIENT MYTHS, the green revolution – perceptions, politics, and facts Convenient Myths


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