PLEASE don't kill the messenger, realize the source is very conservative when it comes to environmental and health matters, and vital information is still lacking, but . . .
". . . effective December 18, 2009, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is adding the chemicals identified below to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, for the purposes of Proposition 65:
Wood dust: In 1995, the IARC published Volume 62 of its series, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Here, the IARC concluded that (1) there is sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of wood dust, and (2) wood dust is “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).” In 2002, the NTP published its Tenth Report on Carcinogens. In this publication, the NTP concluded that wood dust is “known to be a human carcinogen.” Therefore, this substance meets the requirements of both Labor Code sections 6382(b)(1) and (d)."
Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.)
Background on listing by the Labor Code mechanism: Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(a) incorporated certain provisions of the California Labor Code into Proposition 65. The law requires that certain substances identified by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) or the National Toxicology Program (NTP) be listed as known to cause cancer under Proposition 65. Labor Code section 6382(b)(1) refers to substances identified as human or animal carcinogens by the IARC. Labor Code section 6382(d) refers to substances identified as carcinogens or potential carcinogens by the IARC or the NTP.
Though there is an oft quoted British statistical study that states (factory) woodworkers surveyed in 1968 were 1000 times more likely to have respiratory problems, including cancer, than the general population, it is not clear to me that California's actions are based on anything more than anecdotal or statistical evidence. I am still researching the IARC* and NTP source material which resulted in California's action, to see if their determinations were based on direct biological testing, statistical analysis, or what. Also, what has yet to happen is for the OEHHA (or anyone I have seen so far) to establish a "no-significant-risk-level" (NSRL) for exposure to wood dust. Drinking too much water can be hazardous to your health, too!
* Wood dust was classified by IARC as "Sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity" Sufficient in this context means- A causal relationship has been established between exposure to the agent, mixture, or exposure circumstances and human cancer. That is, a positive relationship has been observed between the exposure and cancer in studies in which chance, bias, and confounding could be ruled out with reasonable confidence." While I have no reason to doubt it, it sure sounds anecdotal to me.
Stay tuned. . . .
". . . effective December 18, 2009, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is adding the chemicals identified below to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, for the purposes of Proposition 65:
Wood dust: In 1995, the IARC published Volume 62 of its series, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Here, the IARC concluded that (1) there is sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of wood dust, and (2) wood dust is “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).” In 2002, the NTP published its Tenth Report on Carcinogens. In this publication, the NTP concluded that wood dust is “known to be a human carcinogen.” Therefore, this substance meets the requirements of both Labor Code sections 6382(b)(1) and (d)."
Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.)
Background on listing by the Labor Code mechanism: Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(a) incorporated certain provisions of the California Labor Code into Proposition 65. The law requires that certain substances identified by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) or the National Toxicology Program (NTP) be listed as known to cause cancer under Proposition 65. Labor Code section 6382(b)(1) refers to substances identified as human or animal carcinogens by the IARC. Labor Code section 6382(d) refers to substances identified as carcinogens or potential carcinogens by the IARC or the NTP.
Though there is an oft quoted British statistical study that states (factory) woodworkers surveyed in 1968 were 1000 times more likely to have respiratory problems, including cancer, than the general population, it is not clear to me that California's actions are based on anything more than anecdotal or statistical evidence. I am still researching the IARC* and NTP source material which resulted in California's action, to see if their determinations were based on direct biological testing, statistical analysis, or what. Also, what has yet to happen is for the OEHHA (or anyone I have seen so far) to establish a "no-significant-risk-level" (NSRL) for exposure to wood dust. Drinking too much water can be hazardous to your health, too!
* Wood dust was classified by IARC as "Sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity" Sufficient in this context means- A causal relationship has been established between exposure to the agent, mixture, or exposure circumstances and human cancer. That is, a positive relationship has been observed between the exposure and cancer in studies in which chance, bias, and confounding could be ruled out with reasonable confidence." While I have no reason to doubt it, it sure sounds anecdotal to me.
Stay tuned. . . .