Sacramento, CA - Late in the evening the California
State Assembly passed AB 1108 (Ma), a bill that will phase out the use of
phthalates from products intended for kids under the age of three. The bill
passed with 41 votes.
“We are thrilled that California is taking
action to protect our kids from dangerous chemicals, said Dan Jacobson,
Legislative Director for Environment California. “This bill is so important
because as children’s minds and bodies go through the delicate processes of
growing and developing, they are particularly vulnerable to chemicals that could
affect proper development.”
Phthalates are chemicals added to PVC
plastic to make it soft and flexible. Among many other things, they are
used in soft plastic toys and other baby products, such as teethers, bath books, and rubber
ducks. Because phthalates are not chemically bonded to PVC
molecules, phthalates are given off freely by PVC. Because children have a
natural tendency to suck on objects as a way of exploring the world around them,
phthalates can leach out of these products and enter their
bodies.
“Speaker Nunez and the Assembly leadership
deserve a lot of credit for moving so many good environmental bills off the
Assembly floor today,” said Jacobson. “Our leaders stood up to powerful special
interests and passed legislation to protect our
kids.”
Phthalates have been shown to have negative
effects on human health:
- * Phthalates
interfere with the natural functioning of the hormone system.
- * Phthalates cause
reproductive and genital defects.
- * Exposure is linked
to premature birth and early onset of puberty.
- * Phthalates may
lower sperm count and are associated with the risk factors for testicular
cancer.
U.S. EPA studies show the cumulative impact
of different phthalates leads to an exponential increase in associated
harm. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), levels of phthalates found in humans are higher than levels
shown to cause adverse health effects. The data also show phthalate levels
are highest in children. CDC scientists concluded that “[f]rom a public
health perspective, these data provide evidence that phthalate exposure is both
higher and more common than previously suspected.”
The bill now moves to the
Senate.
