Is 6PPD-quinone safe for babies and kids?
Low risk for kids(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human child context.) Low risk from typical environmental exposure pathways.
What is 6ppd-quinone?
6PPD-quinone is a transformation product, quinone, environmental contaminant.
The IUPAC name is 2-anilino-5-(4-methylpentan-2-ylamino)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione.
Also known as: 6PPD-Q, 2-anilino-5-(4-methylpentan-2-ylamino)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-benzoquinone diimine oxidation product.
- IUPAC name
- 2-anilino-5-(4-methylpentan-2-ylamino)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione
- CAS number
- 2754428-18-5
- Molecular formula
- C18H22N2O2
- Molecular weight
- 298.4 g/mol
- SMILES
- CC(CC(C)C)NC1=CC(=O)C(=CC1=O)NC2=CC=CC=C2
- PubChem CID
- 154926030
Risk for babies
Low riskLow risk from typical environmental exposure pathways.
Children may encounter tire wear particles in playground crumb rubber or near roads. Current evidence does not indicate significant human health risk from environmental concentrations, though research is ongoing.
Risk for pregnant and nursing people
Low riskNo specific reproductive toxicity data available. Low exposure expected.
No studies have specifically evaluated 6PPD-quinone reproductive or developmental toxicity in mammals. Given minimal human exposure levels, risk is considered low pending further research.
Regulatory consensus
4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified 6PPD-quinone. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State Legislature | 2024 | Banned in tires (SB 5931) | First-in-nation ban on 6PPD in tires, effective 2030. Requires manufacturers to find safer alternatives. |
| US EPA | 2023 | Risk assessment initiated | EPA initiated formal risk evaluation of 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone under TSCA |
| California DTSC | 2023 | Under evaluation | California studying restrictions on 6PPD in tires under Safer Consumer Products program |
| EU REACH | — | Under consideration for restriction | European Chemicals Agency considering REACH restriction on 6PPD |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where kids encounter 6ppd-quinone
- tire wear particles
- road runoff / stormwater
- urban waterways and streams
- treated wastewater effluent
- urban sediments
- crumb rubber (playgrounds, artificial turf)
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to 6PPD-quinone:
- Alternative tire antioxidants under development
Frequently asked questions
What products contain 6ppd-quinone?
6PPD-quinone appears in: tire wear particles; road runoff / stormwater; urban waterways and streams.
Why do regulators disagree about 6ppd-quinone?
6PPD-quinone has been classified by 4 agencies including Washington State Legislature, US EPA, California DTSC, EU REACH, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See 6PPD-quinone in the baby app
Look up products containing 6ppd-quinone, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in baby View raw API dataSources (3)
- — expert_curation
- (2021) — peer_reviewed
- (2024) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →