Chapter 4: Bleaches and brighteners · Part 3: Optical brighteners
Fluorescent brightener 220
No badge
The worst fact: only 1.2% broke down in 28 days in one test, and 0% in a 30-day test.
Why brands use it: it's a whitener used mostly in papermaking, with some use in laundry detergents.
Take care if: no official warning found.
Comes from: petroleum chemicals, built on the same stilbene core as FWA-1.
Myth check: nil.
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: Australia's regulator found the risk to water and soil "well below the level of concern".
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical, and for borax. hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- AICIS. Evaluation statement EVA00144: Fluorescent Brightener 71 and related chemicals (2023). industrialchemicals.gov.au
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 4.