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

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

After careful review, OEHHA has determined that the US EPA document does not meet the criteria for formal identification of metam potassium as causing reproductive toxicity under Cal Code of Regs., section 25306(d).  For this reason, OEHHA will not proceed at this time with the Proposition 65 listing process for metam potassium as known to cause reproductive toxicity.  Metam potassium has been listed under Proposition 65 as known to cause cancer since December 31, 2010.

Chemical Reference

• Metam Potassium

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

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

⁴Human Health Risk Assessment. Metam Sodium.  U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, Health Effects Division, April 30, 2009. Metam potassium is discussed in this document.  Available at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0125-0508