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December 11, 2007

California may add BPA, caffeine to Prop. 65

A new prioritization process has bumped caffeine and bisphenol A to the front of the list of toxic chemicals for review in California this year.

Under the state's Proposition 65 law, the governor must publish a yearly list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm. The panel responsible for compiling the list, The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment's Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee, has chosen eight chemicals for possible review. They'll decide which will go through further research before possibly being placed on the Prop. 65 list.

Caffeine, in large quantities, can cause reproductive complications. Many women avoid it altogether when pregnant, although the Sacramento Bee spoke with a nutrition expert who points out that caffeine is generally considered safe at levels below 200 milligrams per day. For reference, a cup of coffee contains between 80 and 175 milligrams, depending on how it's made.

Bisphenol a, that toxic industrial plastics chemical we all know so well, is an endocrine disruptor which may cause damage to the male reproductive system and has been linked to cancer. The federal government undertook to review BPA earlier this year, and a panel of experts determined that there was cause for "some concern" -- which, for me at least, is enough to make me want to avoid the BPA as much as possible.

We'll keep you posted about chemicals added to Prop. 65 as California's review process moves forward.

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