1,4-Dioxane Contamination

● CAMPAIGN OPEN EMERGING 8 signals
Kidney Cancer / Liver Damage  ·  1,4-Dioxane Water Contamination
DEFENDANT
Multiple manufacturers / water utilities
MDL / DOCKET
Pre-MDL
Emerging
JUDGE
TBD
PLAINTIFFS
Emerging
BELLWETHER / TRIAL
TBD
SETTLEMENT STATUS
None
📋 Case Overview

1,4-Dioxane is a synthetic industrial chemical and byproduct of ethoxylation — a manufacturing process used to make surfactants in shampoos, detergents, and personal care products. EPA classifies it as a probable human carcinogen (Group B2). It has contaminated drinking water supplies across Long Island (NY), New Hampshire, Michigan, and other states at concentrations far exceeding EPA's proposed safety thresholds. New York State set a maximum contaminant level of 1 ppb in 2020, making it the first state to regulate 1,4-dioxane in drinking water.

⚗ CAUSATION SUMMARY

Animal studies (NTP bioassay) show clear nasal cavity and liver carcinogenicity at high doses. Epidemiological studies from occupational cohorts and contaminated communities support kidney cancer and liver damage as primary injury categories. Kidney cancer has the strongest Bradford Hill profile: biological plausibility (nephrotoxicity), dose-response (animal data), experimental evidence (rodent studies). The IARC classifies 1,4-dioxane as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic); EPA classifies it as Group B2 (probable). Causation is still developing but is anchored by regulatory classifications.

⚖️ Litigation Status EMERGING
MDL / Court
No MDL — state regulatory and civil actions
Active Plaintiffs
Early

1,4-Dioxane contamination in consumer products (shampoos, cleaning products) and groundwater is an emerging litigation area. NY and other states have established MCLs. Product liability and water contamination theories both active.

Key Verdicts & Settlements
⚖️
No verdicts yet — early stage
Litigation developing. New York has the most active enforcement environment.
🔬
IARC Group 2B carcinogen classification
Possible human carcinogen. Animal data is strong. Human causation evidence developing.
📈
Filing trend: Emerging. Watch New York regulatory actions as a bellwether. Early plaintiff market opportunity for contaminated water community cases.
📍 Geographic Exposure
●Suffolk County, NY — North Shore aquifer systems (primary concentration)
●Nassau County, NY — multiple wells exceeded 1 ppb threshold
●Merrimack, NH — Saint-Gobain facility contamination
●Oscoda, MI — Wurtsmith AFB adjacent communities
●California — multiple groundwater sites in San Bernardino and Riverside counties
●New Jersey — industrial corridor contamination sites
🏢 Key Defendants
DEFENDANT
ROLE
INTEL NOTE
Stepan Company
Primary surfactant manufacturer
Named in early Long Island filings; major 1,4-dioxane producer
Procter & Gamble
Consumer product manufacturer
Traces of 1,4-dioxane found in Tide, Pantene, and other products
Unilever
Consumer product manufacturer
Personal care products containing ethoxylated surfactants
Church & Dwight
Consumer product manufacturer
OxiClean and other surfactant-heavy products
Suffolk County Water Authority
Water utility
Distributed contaminated water; potential defendant in NY cases
United Water (Suez)
Water utility (Nassau County)
Multiple wells with elevated 1,4-dioxane detections
✅ Campaign Eligibility Criteria
✓Resided in or regularly consumed water from Suffolk or Nassau County NY (or other identified contamination zone) for 1+ years
✓Diagnosed with kidney cancer, liver cancer, or liver damage after documented exposure period
✓Diagnosis after 1985 (likely contamination onset period)
✓Exposure period should predate cancer diagnosis by 10+ years (typical latency)
✓Non-smoker or light smoker strengthens kidney cancer claim profile
✓Blood or urine biomarkers showing 1,4-dioxane exposure (if available)
These criteria reflect general case strength indicators and are not legal advice. Contact CloudIntake to screen individual claimants.
📅 Litigation Timeline
1970s
Industrial surfactant production peaks; 1,4-dioxane byproduct enters Long Island groundwater
1987
EPA designates 1,4-dioxane as probable human carcinogen (Group B2)
2007
Suffolk County Health Dept. detects elevated 1,4-dioxane in North Shore wells; public first notified
2019
NY Governor Cuomo announces 1,4-dioxane drinking water standard as public health emergency
2020
New York sets MCL of 1 ppb — first state in nation to regulate 1,4-dioxane in drinking water
2023
First mass tort lawsuits filed against Stepan Company and consumer product manufacturers in NY
2024
EPA proposes federal MCL; litigation cluster forming; pre-MDL coordination anticipated
1,4-Dioxane Contamination — Intelligence Feed ⚖ 204 filings/30d ↑ LIVE
📰 NEWS
Groundwater contamination plume near Ann Arbor named EPA Superfund site
Mar 13, 2026 Detroit Free Press Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Ann Arbor Gelman plume designated an EPA Superfund site
Mar 13, 2026 Michigan Public Read Source →
📰 NEWS
EPA designates Ann Arbor 1,4 dioxane plume as Superfund site
Mar 13, 2026 WEMU Read Source →
📰 NEWS
EPA Declares Ann Arbor’s Gelman Dioxane Plume a Superfund Site After Decades of Groundwater Contamination
Mar 13, 2026 MITechNews Read Source →
📰 NEWS
EPA hearing draws debate over toxic chemical limits in NC drinking water
Mar 13, 2026 WRAL Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Michigan calls on Trump’s EPA for accelerated action on Ann Arbor pollution
Mar 13, 2026 MLive.com Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Schramm v. Monsanto Company — District Court, N.D. California
Mar 29, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Schramm v. Monsanto Company — District Court, N.D. California
Mar 12, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
Feed All Torts
MASS TORT AD AGENCY
Emerging torts reward early movers.
MTAA tracks 1,4-Dioxane Contamination closely. The science is developing, campaign window is open, and ad costs are at the floor. This is exactly when to move.
Talk to MTAA →
Plaintiff attorneys only · mtaa.ai
JACOB SCORE™
1,4-Dioxane Contamination
46 / 100
ScienceModerate
MomentumDeveloping
CampaignDeveloping
TimelineDeveloping
VerdictsWeak
CONTAMINATION · EMERGING
Jacob Score™ — Methodology & Legal Disclaimers
The Jacob Score is a composite 1–100 litigation opportunity index for mass torts, produced by the TortIntel editorial team at Mass Tort Ad Agency. It is updated periodically as litigation conditions change.

Score Dimensions (each rated 1–5)

Science — Peer-reviewed study quality and quantity, relative risk magnitude, replication across independent research groups, FDA or regulatory action taken, and estimated Daubert survivability based on published expert testimony and prior rulings.

Momentum — MDL formation and phase, plaintiff count trajectory, case consolidation activity, and overall litigation velocity.

Campaign — Current filing window status, case saturation, defendant solvency, estimated qualifying population size, and co-defendant dynamics.

Timeline — Proximity to first expected resolution or bellwether trial, current discovery or Daubert phase, and estimated time-to-value for a signed plaintiff.

Verdicts — Confirmed plaintiff jury verdicts, bellwether trial win/loss record, and size or certainty of any established settlement fund. 1 = pre-trial · 2 = mixed early results · 3 = partial settlements or initial wins · 4 = confirmed large verdicts or funded settlement · 5 = landmark verdicts with formal settlement program.

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The Jacob Score is an editorial opinion based on publicly available data including court filings, published scientific literature, regulatory actions, and reported settlement information. It is not a guarantee of future litigation outcomes. Past verdicts and settlements are not predictive of future results in any specific case.

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