Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde is a simple aldehyde (two carbons) that occurs naturally in ripe fruits, coffee, and bread, and is a normal metabolic byproduct of ethanol. It is listed on California's Proposition 65 as a substance known to cause cancer, classified by IARC as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans). In auto detailing products, acetaldehyde is not an intentional ingredient. It appears as a trace residual from manufacturing processes, often disclosed in SDS Section 15 alongside other state-regulated substances. At the parts-per-million concentrations found in finished consumer products, the exposure is far below occupational limits. Acetaldehyde is readily biodegradable and does not bioaccumulate. It has low aquatic toxicity at environmental concentrations. Its primary regulatory significance in car care products is triggering the Prop 65 disclosure requirement.