In my last article, I explained what Proposition 65 is, how it helps, and the controversy around the law. It is shocking to discover that so many products have toxic chemicals that cause reproductive harm, developmental problems, and cancer.

Take your time reading and absorbing the following information. Refer to “What is Proposition 65?” and additional resources listed below.

Athletic Equipment

Manufacturers use toxic flame retardants in gymnastic equipment and camping tents. Proposition 65 warnings are sometimes on golf clubs, fishing sinkers, and bicycles because brass or other components contain lead.

Baby & Children’s Items

Let me be clear: No baby items should ever have Proposition 65 warnings. But since they do, parents and guardians must be extra vigilant. Manufacturers make products made with polyurethane foam, which they often treat with flame retardants. These include some bassinets, booster seats, infant carriers, child safety seats (car seats), nap mats, nursing pillows, playpens, and strollers.

Manufacturers used to use bisphenol A (BPA) in many plastic baby items, such as bottles and nipples, but allegedly use safer ingredients now. Choose glass baby bottles over plastic.

Phthalates, DBP, and DEHP have been found in all brands of diapers. One study found formaldehyde and glyphosate (aka Round-Up) in them. Diapers also contain endocrine disruptors, from the plastics in diapers, meaning they alter human hormone levels.¹

Phthalates can also be found in the following products: Plastic lunchboxes, binders, backpacks, storage cases, rainwear, handbags, belts, footwear, and other artificial leather items made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and plastic food packaging materials.²

Infant and children’s clothing can contain chemicals just as adult clothes do.

And though no one knows why, some manufacturers still use lead in some toys and baby bibs.

Building & Construction Materials

Formaldehyde is present in insulation materials such as foam and fiberglass insulation, as well as particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard.

Manufacturers use toxic flame retardants in carpeting and carpet padding.

Lead was commonly used in paint before the U.S. banned it in 1978. It was also used in plumbing pipes and fixtures. Be aware if your home is older than 1978.

Manufacturers used asbestos because it was strong and heat resistant (a good insulator). They used it in building materials, insulation, fireproofing materials, brakes, cloth, paper, cement, plastic, and other materials.

Vinyl chloride is used in window blinds and coverings.

Vinyl flooring contains phthalates and other VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Clothing

Manufacturers use formaldehyde and toxic flame retardants in some clothing, even children’s clothing. They also sometimes use PFAS/PFOAs in clothing items, as well as bisphenol A (BPA) in sports bras and athletic wear. Those chemicals give clothing properties such as stain-resistant, moisture-wicking, and wrinkle-free. As a rule, steer clear of that type of clothing.

Manufacturers use lead and cadmium in purses, shoes, and other accessories. Any clothing item or accessory with the following features also may have lead, cadmium, or phthalates: Polyurethane products, PVC or vinyl parts, chains, zippers, buttons, snaps, rivets, clasps, screen printed elements, metallic yarns, plastic polymers, metallic coatings, imitation rhinestones, paint and surface coatings, and D-Rings.³

Cookware

Non-stick cookware, commonly known as Teflon, often contains PFOA, PFAS, and PFOS. The media has labeled these chemicals as “forever chemicals.” Allegedly, the newest versions of non-stick cookware don’t contain PFAS. Manufacturers now use PTFE, which they advertise as safer. However, that’s what those same companies told us for decades about PFAS so it’s difficult to believe them. Please don’t use these! Invest in stainless steel cookware or cast iron pans.

Electrical/Electronic Items

Proposition 65 warnings are found on power cords, surge protectors, and lighting products because their components contain heavy metals including lead, nickel, phthalates in PVC coverings on some wires and cables, and/or other chemicals such as ethylene glycol.

Food

This topic warrants its own article, so please read that next!

Furniture

This is a big one, as most modern furniture contains additives and chemicals. Furniture in your home, for example, can off-gas toxins for a long time, which means you are constantly breathing them in and/or absorbing them through your skin. These chemicals include formaldehyde; flame retardants in upholstered furniture and mattresses, especially those made with polyurethane foam treated with flame retardants; PFOA, PFAS, and PFOS in stain-resistant upholstered furniture; phthalates; and lead in products with imitation leather.

“Our furniture’s upholstery and the lumber beneath it have probably been dosed with fire retardants and other chemicals. That sounded like a good idea when smoking was common, and people had the unhealthy habit of dozing off on the sofa with a lit cigarette. We could’ve just resolved to be more careful. But instead, we clamored for upholstery and even pajamas that had been treated with flame retardant chemicals, without first checking to find out whether those chemicals caused health problems of their own.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences⁴

If you can afford it, buy furniture and mattresses certified as chemical or toxin-free. You can also purchase furniture secondhand, as it will have already off-gassed some.

Hand Sanitizers

Manufacturers sometimes use methanol, a poisonous and flammable liquid, in hand sanitizers to lower production costs, and fail to include it in the list of ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a list of approximately 600 brands of hand sanitizer to avoid because of methanol.⁵

Household Appliances

I often don’t know why appliances have this warning, but every microwave and dishwasher we’ve purchased in the last 10 years has had a Proposition 65 warning. Manufacturers use heavy metals, flame retardants, and chemicals in their production. The American Cancer Society recommends asking the manufacturer about the specific product.

The Proposition 65 website indicates that “it is difficult to generalize about chemical exposures from household appliances because each appliance is different.”⁶

Many people say not to worry about the warnings on appliances. “MOST appliances carry the Prop 65 California warning. This is because the interior of the product may contain things like lead or other heavy metal materials that are necessary for them to work properly. While they are present in the appliance, they are not actually exposed to you while you use the appliance properly. But if you were to use the product in a way that was taking it completely apart or in an improper way, you could potentially be exposed.”⁷

I remain skeptical.

Household cleaners & solvents

Chemical-based cleaners and solvents have many toxic ingredients, so know what you use in your home. Better yet, use a homemade cleaner!

“All those ultra-powerful, all purpose cleaning products that promise to kill germs and mold, what else do you think they might be killing?” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences⁸

Household Items

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in drapery, linens, and upholstery. They also use flame retardants in drapery and some bedding; lead in vinyl items, such as shower curtains and imitation leather; and make memory foam from polyurethane, which off-gasses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that we inhale. That ‘new’ smell from vinyl shower curtains or other household items is the chemicals off-gassing.

“Formaldehyde, benzadine, parathion, and mercury are all part of the manufacturing process of the cotton used in sheets and bedding, and can potentially remain part of the fabric. Blended fabric sheets and other bedding, meaning cotton-polyester mixtures, are still partly petroleum-based with all the toxicity that comes with that. And the cotton for standard-issued sheets was grown with pesticides, meaning that they’re harmful to the environment and not so great for you, either. Wrinkle-free sheets have the same dangers as no-iron clothing does. The resins used in their manufacture contain formaldehyde, which can cause dermatitis, throat irritation, and nausea. But that’s not all…It’s better to live with wrinkled sheets, or learn to iron.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences⁹

Vinyl gloves, tubing, and garden hoses often contain phthalates and PVC. Don’t let your children drink from the hose!

Medical

Phthalates from PVC can leach into medical devices and equipment, including blood and intravenous solution bags, tubing for dialysis, feeding tubes, oxygen masks, and surgical gloves.

Paint, adhesives, and varnishes

Formaldehyde is in many types of paint, adhesives, and varnishes; methanol is used as a solvent and an ingredient in some as well (sometimes called “methyl alcohol” or “wood alcohol”).¹⁰

Phthalates and VOCs exist in inks, pigments, adhesives, sealants, paints, and lacquers. Some artist materials contain these ingredients, lead, and other heavy metals.

Paper Products

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in some paper products, such as grocery bags and paper towels.¹¹

Personal Care & Beauty Products

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in hair smoothing, hair straightening products, and nail polish. They use lead in cosmetics and hair dyes. Some beauty and skin care products contain synthetic progesterone. Phthalates are in some personal care products, including nail polishes, perfumes, and other products containing fragrances. In fact, ‘fragrance’ is often a cover for the term phthalates. Look for products rated well in EWG’s Skin Deep database (linked under Additional Resources below). Don’t solely rely on a company’s website to determine the safety of a cosmetic product. Ulta uses the term ‘clean ingredients’ on products rated poorly with EWG for toxicity.

Pharmaceuticals & Dietary Supplements

Heavy metals in the soil and water, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, accumulate in plants used in drugs and supplements. Also, “Benzene, while not in the final product, is used in the manufacture of drugs.”¹²

Many nitrosamines are carcinogenic, and were found in commonly prescribed drugs for hypertension, heartburn, and type 2 diabetes, and prompted numerous Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls in recent years.¹³

Smoking

Tobacco smoke, such as from cigarettes, is full of chemicals and additives. Formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, lead, acetaldehyde, acrylamide, arsenic, 1,3‑butadiene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, hexavalent chromium, mercury, nickel, nicotine, and styrene.¹⁴

“People are exposed to substantially more acrylamide from tobacco smoke than from food.”¹⁵

Please note that e-cigarette and vaping aerosols contain Proposition 65 chemicals as well. These include propylene glycol (also used in antifreeze and paint solvents); acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, both carcinogens; acrolein, an herbicide that can cause irreversible lung damage; diacetyl, a chemical linked to lung disease; diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze, heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead, and cadmium; and benzene.¹⁶

Stay away from these.

Vehicles

Unfortunately, manufacturers use tons of chemicals in our vehicles too. Worse, heat exacerbates chemical off-gassing. There are flame retardants in vehicle seats and child safety seats. Manufacturers use plasticizers containing phthalates in vehicle upholstery and interiors to provide flexibility to plastics.

The fuel to run vehicles is full of chemicals too. Benzene is in gasoline and petroleum products and is released through vehicle emissions. Toluene is also present in petroleum products.

Then there’s engine exhaust, which contains multiple toxic chemicals, including benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ethylbenzene, and 1,3-butadiene. This includes all vehicles, recreational boats, generators, and landscaping equipment (including lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws).¹⁷

“More than 40 chemicals listed for cancer are present in diesel engine exhaust.”¹⁸

Be Aware

I say ‘Be Aware’ because you might come across products that are not sold in California but contain the same toxic chemicals. Worse, sometimes companies that sell products nationally or internationally might only label products shipped to California, even though all their products contain the same ingredients.

Remember, one product’s small amount of harmful ingredients is not the problem. These toxins surround us in our homes, in our showers, in the workplace, and in our schools. If we encountered a single chemical occasionally, it likely would not pose a significant threat. But we are constantly bombarded with these chemicals in every facet of our lives. This is why Proposition 65 warnings can help us – we can know just how many of our products are exposing us to toxins.

“We live in well-built, completely insulated containers filled with furniture and furnishings made using chemicals that have been proven to be harmful to our health. We keep our houses clean and germ-free with products made from toxic chemicals capable of causing everything from rashes to kidney disease. Your sofa: Phthalates. Your bed sheets: formaldehyde. Your Tupperware containers, your laundry detergent –  bad stuff at every turn.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences¹⁹

I hope this is helpful information. In my next article, I’ll cover Proposition 65 ingredients in food. Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe!

Additional Resources:

List, “Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens or Reproductive Toxicants,” Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), State of California, December 29, 2023.

“Fact Sheets,” Proposition 65 website.

Database, EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics database.

Footnotes:

1. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
2. Page, “Phthalates,” Proposition 65 website, September 2017. ↩︎
3. Page, “Distributors’ Guide to Navigating Proposition 65,” International Enviroguard website, October 27, 2021. ↩︎
4. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
5. Page, “FDA updates on hand sanitizers consumers should not use,” FDA website, accessed July 28, 2024. ↩︎
6. Fact Sheet, “Household Appliances,” OEHHA, updated July 2022. ↩︎
7. Blog Article, “Understand the Proposition 65 California Warning for Your Healthy Home,” healthyhouseontheblock.com, May 14, 2023. ↩︎
8. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
9. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
10. Page, “Methanol,” Proposition 65 website, July 2024. ↩︎
11. Page, “Facts About Formaldehyde,” Environmental Protection Agency, Updated March 6, 2024. ↩︎
12. Page, “Benzene,” Proposition 65 website, Updated May 2021. ↩︎
13. Article, “Estimated Cancer Risks Associated with Nitrosamine Contamination in Commonly Used Medications,” Li K, Ricker K, Tsai FC, Hsieh CJ, Osborne G, Sun M, Marder ME, Elmore S, Schmitz R, and Sandy MS. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021 Sep 8;18(18):9465. ↩︎
14. Page, “Tobacco Smoke,” Proposition 65 website, June 2017. ↩︎
15. Page, “Acrylamide and Cancer Risk,” National Cancer Institute, December 5, 2017. ↩︎
16. Page, “What’s in an E-Cigarette?” American Lung Association, updated May 31, 2023. ↩︎
17. Page, “Gasoline Engine Exhaust,” Proposition 65 website, March 2019. ↩︎
18. Page, “Diesel Engine Exhaust,” Proposition 65 website, Updated July 2024. ↩︎
19. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎