California's strict toxic chemical rules are making a difference when it comes to residents' exposure to dozens of dangerous compounds, including cancer-causing PFAS.
Environmental Health News reported on a new study that analyzed nationwide data on the levels of 37 toxic chemicals in people's blood before and after California introduced stringent chemical laws in 1986. The researchers found that Californians had lower levels of 18 dangerous chemicals in their bodies when compared to the rest of the country.
"Our finding … has potentially far-reaching implications," Claudia Polsky, co-author and director of the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of California Berkeley School of Law, said in a statement, per EHN. "It suggests a tangible public health payoff from the state's more stringent environmental regulations."
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The news site explained that the law, Prop 65, requires that products sold in California include labels if they contain potentially harmful levels of the 850 chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive risks. It added that Prop 65's benefits extended beyond California, explaining that companies that send their products to California and other states were more likely to reformulate their products nationwide instead of creating different versions in different states.
BPA (better known as bisphenol A) and PFAS — of which there are many varieties — were among the chemicals found in lower levels in Californians.
BPA has been linked to health issues like increased blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, per the Mayo Clinic. Exposure in children is of particular concern, as it can lead to developmental and health issues such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression, early puberty in girls, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to Columbia University's Center for Children's Environmental Health.
Meanwhile, PFAS exposure has been correlated with a number of health risks, including increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, decreased birth weight, and increased risk for certain types of cancer, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to groundbreaking chemical laws like those in California, scientists are coming up with new ways to help us reduce our exposure to harmful substances. For instance, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, discovered a way to zap out two common types of PFAS in drinking water in less than an hour using hydrogen and UV light. Another group in Japan has found a way to break down some types of PFAS in less than eight hours using visible LEDs.
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