Glossary / Regulations
TSCA
TSCA is the Toxic Substances Control Act, a United States federal law enacted in 1976 and administered by the EPA. It gives the agency authority to require testing, review new chemicals, and restrict the manufacture, import, use or disposal of industrial chemicals.
Explanation
TSCA fills a gap left by other laws. Workplace exposure is covered by OSHA, pesticides and food additives by their own statutes, and TSCA covers the broad category of industrial and commercial chemicals. Certain items, such as pesticides, drugs and food, are excluded from most of its scope.
A central tool is the TSCA Inventory, a list of chemical substances manufactured or imported in the United States. A substance not on the Inventory is generally a new chemical, and the manufacturer must notify the EPA before making or importing it. The EPA then reviews the notice and can require controls or testing.
The EPA also evaluates existing chemicals. Following amendments to the law, it prioritises chemicals, assesses risk, and where it finds an unreasonable risk, it must write rules to manage it. These rules can limit or ban uses, require workplace protections, or set labelling and recordkeeping rules.
Importers and exporters have certification duties. Anyone bringing a chemical into the United States generally has to certify that the shipment complies with TSCA, and exports of some chemicals trigger notice requirements.
For workers, TSCA mostly appears indirectly, through SDS statements on inventory status and through bans or restrictions on particular chemicals. It is a different regime from HazCom, which addresses communicating hazards inside the workplace.
What to do and watch for
- Check TSCA inventory status before importing or developing a new chemical product.
- Keep import certifications in your records.
- Watch for EPA rules on chemicals you use.
Where it appears on an SDS
- Section 15: Regulatory information. Typically states whether each component is listed on the TSCA Inventory and notes any TSCA rules that apply.
- Section 3: Composition / information on ingredients. Gives the identity of components, which is what inventory status is checked against.
SDS content and wording vary by supplier. This page is general reference and does not replace the current SDS for your product.