Some children's bath products contain a suspected cancer-causing chemical in amounts that reach or exceed recommended limits, according to studies by environmental groups released earlier this month.

Johnson and Johnson, Disney, Kimberly-Clark and Gerber are among the makers of 15 children's products that contain 1,4-dioxane, said David Steinman, head of the environmental publishing company Freedom Press. Dioxane is commonly used in shampoos and other household bath products; company officials say levels are within guidelines.

The petroleum-derived chemical is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, and the National Toxicology Program considers it a known animal carcinogen.

Dioxane is the solvent that was used in the manufacture of medical filters at the former Gelman Sciences Inc. on Wagner Road. Decades-old wastewater storage and disposal protocols are believed to have lead to groundwater contamination throughout the area. State environmental officials and engineers with the company's current owners have been working on a cleanup for years.

For more information on the study, visit the Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org.