Chemical Selected for Consideration for Listing by the Carcinogen Identification Committee and Request for Relevant Information on the Carcinogenic Hazard of: PFOS and its salts and Transformation and Degradation Precursors

The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is the lead agency for the implementation of Proposition 65^[1]. The Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC) of OEHHA’s Science Advisory Board serves as the state’s qualified experts and renders an opinion about whether a chemical has been clearly shown to cause cancer^[2].  Chemicals identified as carcinogens by the CIC are added to the Proposition 65 list.

OEHHA has selected perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its salts and transformation and degradation precursors (referred to hereafter as “this chemical”) for the CIC’s review for possible listing under Proposition 65^[3].  This was selected from chemicals prioritized by the CIC in 2020.  For details, follow this link: https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/agenda/november-17-2020-virtual-meeting-carcinogen-identification-committee. 

OEHHA is initiating the development of hazard identification materials, for presentation at a future meeting of the CIC for consideration of listing under Proposition 65.  By this notice, OEHHA is giving the public an opportunity to provide information relevant to the assessment of the evidence of carcinogenicity for this chemical.  Relevant information includes but is not limited to: 

• Transformation and/or degradation precursors of PFOS
• Cancer bioassays
• Cancer epidemiological studies
• Genotoxicity testing
• Other pertinent data on:
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Effects on biochemical and physiological processes, including findings in humans

Interested parties wishing to provide such information should submit it in accordance with the instructions given below. 

The publication of this notice marks the start of a 45-day data call-in period, ending on Monday, May 10, 2021.  The information received during this period will be reviewed and considered by OEHHA as it prepares the cancer hazard identification materials on this chemical. 

Hazard identification materials will be made available to the public for comment prior to the CIC’s consideration of the chemical for possible listing.  The availability of hazard identification materials will be announced in the California Regulatory Notice Register and on OEHHA’s website.  Public comments received on these materials will be sent to the CIC for its consideration prior to the meeting at which this chemical will be considered for listing.  OEHHA will announce the time, date, location, and agenda of CIC meetings in the California Regulatory Notice Register and on its website. 

Because of limited in-office staffing during the COVID-19 emergency, OEHHA strongly recommends that relevant information responsive to this request be submitted electronically through our website at https://oehha.ca.gov/comments, rather than in paper form.  Comments submitted in paper form can be mailed or delivered in person to the address below, but delays may occur if staff are unable to timely access them.

All non-electronic submissions should be directed to:

Tyler Saechao
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
1001 I Street
P.O. Box 4010, MS-12B
Sacramento, California 95812-4010
Telephone: 916-445-6900

To be considered at this point in the process, the relevant information must be received at OEHHA by Monday, May 10, 2021.