OTTAWA - Eight chemicals have been deemed "toxic to human health" following months of assessment as part of a government-run program to evaluate the safety of household products.

The list also included one chemical evaluated as toxic to the environment.

A chemical called 1,2-Benzenediol, sometimes known as Catechol, was listed. It appears in solutions used to develop photos has been used in the past as an oxidizing agent in hair dyes.

Catechol has been listed on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredients Hotlist prohibiting its use in cosmetic products since 2007.

Toluene diisocyanate, also known as TDIs, was also one of the chemicals listed. It is an industrial chemical that has not been manufactured by any company in Canada in a quantity above the necessary reporting level of 100 kg in 2006.

But it is imported into the country.

According to the Environment Canada website, more than 85 per cent of TDI was used in the manufacturing of flexible polyurethane foam in 2006. This flexible foam can be found in furniture, bedding and various packaging.

Industrial releases of TDI in Canada are mainly into the air and it is expected that most TDI released will remain in its least harmful vapour state with a half-life of less than two days.

The nine harmful chemicals were originally part of a group of 15 substances identified last year as top priority for review.

Environment Minister John Baird and Health Minister Tony Clement made the announcement Saturday as part of the Conservative's Chemicals Management Plan.

The plan is designed to test the levels of toxicity of chemicals used in consumer and industrial products.

This is the first batch of chemicals to be assessed through the program with another five groups still awaiting evaluation.

"We identified these substances as a priority for action a year ago and our final assessments have confirmed that eight of these substances are toxic to human health and one is toxic to the environment," said Clement.

The toxic chemicals include:

-1,2-benzenediol and 1,4-benzenediol

-Methyl-and ethyloxirane

-Toluene diisocyanates (TDIs) - (3 substances)

-Naphthalene

-CHPD (Yellow Dye), identified as toxic to the environment

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