Furfural Found Not to Meet Listing Criteria

Candidate for Listing via the Authoritative Bodies Mechanism Found Not to Meet the Listing Criteria: Furfural

The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) identified furfural as a potential candidate for listing under Proposition 651 via the authoritative bodies mechanism2,3 as known to the state to cause cancer.  This potential action was based on a US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) document4. The US EPA is designated as a Proposition 65 authoritative body for the identification of chemicals as causing cancer (Cal. Code of Regs., section 25306(m)).

After careful review, OEHHA has determined that the US EPA document does not  meet the criteria for listing furfural as causing cancer under Cal. Code of Regs., section 25306.  For this reason, OEHHA will not proceed at this time with the Proposition 65 listing process for furfural as known to cause cancer. 

Footnotes and References

1 Commonly known as Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 is codified in Health and Safety Code section 25249.5 et seq.

2Authoritative Bodies Tracking

3 See Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(b) and Title 27, Cal. Code of Regs., section 25306.

4 US EPA (2014). Cancer Assessment Document, Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Potential of Furfural and Furfuryl alcohol.  Final Report. Health Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.  February 6, 2014.