On June 16, 2023, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) intended to list anthracene (CAS: 120-12-7), 2‑bromopropane (CAS: 75-26-3), and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite (CAS: 868-85-9) as known to the state to cause cancer.
Grounds:
Earlier this March, IARC published on its website a list entitled “Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1 - 133” (IARC, 2023) after it confirms that these 3 substances meet the requirements for listing as known to the state to cause cancer. IARC concluded that 2-bromopropane is classified in Group 2A (“probably carcinogenic to humans”) and that anthracene and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite are classified in Group 2B (“possibly carcinogenic to humans”). IARC concluded that there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals for anthracene, 2-bromopropane, and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite. In accordance with the provision of Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(a), the California Labor Code section 6382(b)(1) was incorporated into Proposition 65. The law requires that certain substances identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) shall be listed as known to cause cancer under Proposition 65. Therefore, OEHHA concluded that these chemicals meet the requirements under the California Labor Code.
OEHHA is providing this opportunity to collect public comments which must be submitted by July 17, 2023. If the proposal is approved, enterprises shall warn relevant entities if their substance exposure exceed the threshold.
