In many previous years, we have reviewed and reported on CalBizLit onthe number of notices as to each listed chemical. In every year we reviewed, the most frequently noticed chemical was DEHP, and number two was usually lead (or lead and compounds). While we were unable to take the time to evaluate and report on the 2020 numbers, we recently received an analysis of the first quarter of 2021 from Scott D. Dwyer, PhD, Consulting Toxicologist with Washington State’s ToxRisk Consulting LLC. Thanks to Scott and to ToxRisk Consulting. Their report shows the following:
|
Chemical |
NOVs |
Example Products |
|
Phthalates (DEHP, DINP, DIDP, DBP) |
413 |
Plastic bags, cases, totes, grips, steering wheel covers. |
|
Lead (or lead and compounds) |
232 |
Spices, dried and smoked fish, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables, glass and ceramic ware, fishing tackle, brass fittings, lead solder, plumbing fixtures, dietary supplements. |
|
Acrylamide |
109 |
Baked goods, including chips, crackers, cookies, and ready-to-bake doughs. |
|
Bisphenol A |
27 |
Phone cases, duck calls, face shields, food containers. |
|
Cadmium (or cadmium and compounds) |
24 |
Dried seafoods, fruits, and meats, and sunflower seeds. |
|
Mercury |
14 |
Seafood |
|
Chromium (hexavalent) |
12 |
Leather gloves |
|
Furan |
9 |
Pretzels, baked beans, and soy sauce. |
|
Arsenic |
8 |
Foods, including dried shrimp, seaweed, and spices. |
|
Carbon monoxide |
8 |
Fire starters |
|
Asbestos |
3 |
Construction materials |
|
Soots, tar, and mineral oils (coal tar) |
3 |
Fire starter, camp stove, and charcoal. |
|
Diethanolamine |
2 |
Face and neck cream, bath gel. |
|
Pulegone |
2 |
Peppermint extracts |
|
Wood dust |
2 |
Wood chips and pine bedding. |
|
Marijuana smoke and THC |
2 |
Foods and smoking products. |
|
beta-Myrcene |
1 |
Thyme leaves |
|
D&C Orange 17 |
1 |
Vinyl arm and leg rests. |
|
N-Nitrosodiethylamine |
1 |
Workout bands |
|
N-Nitrosodimethylamine |
1 |
Workout bands |
|
Silica, crystalline (airborne particles of respirable size) |
1 |
Sand-blasting work |
CalBizLit reviewed the notices for the different phthalates for the January through March of this year, and found the following:
DEHP: 325 notices
DINP: 63 notices
DIDP: 15 notices
DBP: 9 notices.
As has been the case in many years, this shows DEHP as the most frequently noticed chemical. For example, from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, DEHP was a subject of 1,292 notices!
