Hidden Hazards: Nontargeted Chemical Analysis Reveals Widespread Contaminants and Mislabeling in Personal Care and Cleaning Products

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenols, phthalates, and parabens, are widely used in plastics, personal care, and household products and are linked to adverse health outcomes such as cancer, metabolic disease, and infertility. Although product labels disclose ingredients, they often fail to capture the full range of consumer chemical exposures. Building on prior evidence that participants in the Million Marker (MM) biomonitoring program reduced some (but not all) EDC metabolites, we hypothesized that undisclosed ingredients, mislabeling, and contamination contribute to persistent exposures. We conducted nontargeted chemical analyses of 113 personal care and cleaning products across 12 categories, spanning a range of label-based hazard ratings, using high-resolution GC × GC-MS with machine-learning–assisted identification. We detected 3,141 unique chemicals, including 303 with confirmed, probable, or tentative identification. Nearly all products (98%) contained at least one unlabeled chemical, and 85% contained at least one with known or suspected health hazards, with products averaging more than three times as many chemicals as listed on labels. Over half of the products (57.5%) failed testing based on undisclosed contaminants, including many marketed as “natural,” “non-toxic,” or “fragrance-free,” and 26% contained chemicals that directly contradicted label claims. These findings reveal substantial gaps in product transparency and demonstrate that ingredient labels alone cannot reliably convey product safety, underscoring the need for nontargeted testing of finished products to reduce harmful chemical exposures.