“Benzisothiazolinone?”Here!BIT
Appears in 1 scanned product.
In household products
A synthetic preservative from the isothiazolinone family, used to stop bacteria and fungi from growing inside a product while it sits on a shelf.
Why it’s used
Many household cleaners, laundry products, and dish soaps contain water, which is hospitable to microbial growth. BIT is added in small amounts to keep the formula from spoiling between manufacture and last use.
What the evidence says
Isothiazolinones including BIT are recognized skin sensitizers; the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and ECHA classifications flag it for allergic contact dermatitis potential, mainly from repeated or occupational-level skin contact rather than incidental household use.
Context
Exposure in a cleaning product is chiefly through skin contact during use, particularly for people who clean frequently with bare hands; rinsing and dilution reduce contact time and concentration.
Rumors
Benzisothiazolinone is very toxic to aquatic life.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- ireadlabelsforyou.com — we haven’t checked who runs this site yet
Benzisothiazolinone is a safe preservative for laundry detergent, approved by EPA Safer Choice and recognised by EWG.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Heritage Park Laundry Essentials — a brand: sells plant-based laundry products; family-owned
How we know who this is
- “At Heritage Park Laundry Essentials, we are dedicated to crafting laundry detergents that are safe, gentle, and environmentally friendly.” (their page)
- “As a family-owned and operated business, we take pride in crafting our high-quality, plant-based laundry detergents in small batches to ensure exceptional results and the utmost level of quality control.” (their page)
- Heritage Park Laundry Essentials — a brand: sells plant-based laundry products; family-owned
Growing use of benzisothiazolinone in household products is driving rising rates of BIT allergy.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Alex Gazzola — an individual: earns affiliate commission (Amazon) on linked products
How we know who this is
- “It is edited by Alex Gazzola , a writer and author specialising in allergies, food intolerances and other sensitivities.” (their page)
- “This site is a member of the Amazon affiliate scheme.” (their page)
- Alex Gazzola — an individual: earns affiliate commission (Amazon) on linked products
BIT is a sensitizing allergen: the more contact you have with it in laundry detergent, the more likely you are to develop an allergy.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Inspire — a platform — posts are by its users: health community paid by clinical trial sponsors for recruitment
How we know who this is
- “Inspire is the world's largest health community.” (their page)
- “Clinical trial sponsors pay Inspire for this service.” (their page)
- Inspire — a platform — posts are by its users: health community paid by clinical trial sponsors for recruitment
Benzisothiazolinone in laundry detergent is a contact allergen that causes allergic skin reactions.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Force of Nature — a brand: sells an appliance that makes cleaner and disinfectant from salt, water and vinegar
How we know who this is
- “We launched Force of Nature in 2016 with the mission to end the compromise between cleaning and health – for people and the planet.” (their page)
- “Meet the appliance that converts salt, water, and vinegar into an all-in-one cleaner, deodorizer and EPA-registered disinfectant.” (their page)
- Force of Nature — a brand: sells an appliance that makes cleaner and disinfectant from salt, water and vinegar