Proposition 65 Definition of Nickel (Soluble Compounds)
Effective October 26, 2018, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added Nickel (soluble compounds) to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). At a public meeting on October 11, 2018, the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DARTIC), in its official capacity as the “state’s qualified experts,” provided the basis for the listing when it determined that soluble nickel compounds were clearly shown to cause reproductive toxicity based on the developmental and male reproductive endpoints.
For purposes of Proposition 65, Nickel (soluble compounds) are defined to be compounds of nickel with solubility in water of greater than 0.1 moles per liter (mol/L) at 20oC. This definition is consistent both with the discussion by the DARTIC that led to the listing of Nickel (soluble compounds) (available at https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/transcript/101118dartictranscript.pdf) and OEHHA’s prior definition of soluble nickel compounds in the 2012 document, “Nickel Reference Exposure Levels: Nickel and Nickel Compounds; Nickel Oxide” (available at https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/032312nirelfinal.pdf).