July 9, 2025
We’re surrounded by chemicals every day, some beneficial, others potentially harmful. Since the 1980s, California has tackled the dangers head-on with a unique law known as Proposition 65 that resulted in a proliferation of warning labels on a wide range of consumer packaging, as well as on the walls of businesses.
The core idea behind Prop 65 was twofold: empower consumers by warning them about significant exposure to chemicals known to cause cancer, health complications, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and incentivize businesses to find safer alternatives. The list of dangerous toxins has grown to more than 850 chemicals.
But a persistent question has lingered: Do these warnings actually work? Does Prop 65 truly lead to lower exposure levels and encourage companies to change their ways, or is it just information overload? A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives offers new insights into the real-world impact of this landmark law.
The study evaluated the impact of Proposition 65 by examining changes in the concentrations of 37 chemicals within the blood and urine from the time that each chemical was listed. The study found that Californians generally had lower levels of the listed chemicals than the rest of the US population. The conclusion: increased awareness of the dangers of Proposition 65-listed chemicals led to changes in product formulations, reducing population exposure to those chemicals.
Critical Need to Warn Employees About Toxic Chemicals
Consumers in California are lucky to have such warnings in place and to have the ability to protect themselves. However, employees nationwide face daily exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 32 million workers in more than 3.5 million workplaces are regularly exposed to dangerous chemicals. Chemical exposure occurs in a wide range of industries and occupations, with workers typically experiencing multiple exposures to numerous chemicals at one point in time or over a long period during their employment. Yet not all workers are given adequate warning or protection against these chemicals.
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires:
A Case Study in Failure to Warn: Toxic Exposure at Boeing
A prominent example involves workers exposed to harmful chemicals at Boeing facilities. Boeing was aware of the dangers posed by toxic chemicals used in its manufacturing facilities, yet the company failed to adequately warn workers or provide adequate protective gear, according to a series of lawsuits filed by workers whose children suffered birth complications and defects, according to court records.
Workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals at several Boeing facilities. These toxic chemicals, which included benzene and hexavalent chromium, have been tied to numerous harmful health effects, including disrupting the ability to reproduce (for both men and women) and causing parents to pass on damaged and defective DNA to their children. Birth defects linked to chemicals used at Boeing facilities include:
As a result of its failure to warn employees about toxic chemical exposure, Boeing has faced a series of lawsuits filed by families of former factory workers whose children were born with birth defects. The families claimed that chemicals used at Boeing facilities caused these birth defects.
How We Help Victims of Toxic Exposure
Seek justice with the help of our experienced attorneys. Our Dallas, Texas, benzene law firm has battled corporate giants on behalf of individuals like you for 20 years, aggressively fighting to hold them responsible for dangerous chemicals and the personal injuries and cancers they cause. If you have suffered a catastrophic injury caused by dangerous products, we can help.
Our Results
Historic settlement for over 1,300 survivors of clergy and adult abuse within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, marking a pivotal moment for justice.
A Philadelphia jury awarded a record verdict against ExxonMobil for failing to warn about cancer risks due to benzene in its petroleum products.
Private equity firm and co-defendants agree to pay $25M in Medicaid fraud case alleging mental health services provided by unqualified providers.
That’s the first question everyone asks. The truth is it’s impossible to know. But we can tell you this. Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has what it takes to fight against big corporate interests and win.
