California Proposes Proposition 65 Listings For PFBA, PFDA And PFHxA

California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has proposed adding perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), together with defined related salts, to Proposition 65 as reproductive toxicants. The three notices, dated 30 October 2026, are proposals rather than final listings.

The proposals concern chemicals used in, or associated with, consumer products and industrial applications. OEHHA’s PFBA notice describes PFBA as both a substance used in consumer products and a breakdown product of other PFAS.

Different Reproductive Endpoints

The PFDA proposal and PFBA proposal cover developmental, male reproductive and female reproductive endpoints. The PFHxA proposal concerns the developmental endpoint. None of these notices proposes a cancer listing.

Each notice defines the related salts by reference to the relevant US Environmental Protection Agency assessment. The definitions concern salts expected to dissociate in aqueous solutions between pH 4 and 9; they do not extend indiscriminately to every compound containing the same PFAS component.

Earlier Assessments And The Listing Process

OEHHA is using the authoritative-bodies listing mechanism. Its notices rely on EPA toxicological reviews published in 2022 for PFBA, 2024 for PFDA and 2023 for PFHxA. Those assessments are the evidence behind the proposed listings, rather than final California listing decisions.

Comments Close In November

Written comments on whether the chemicals meet the authoritative-bodies listing criteria must reach OEHHA by 30 November 2026. The notices provide for electronic, postal or hand-delivered submissions and state that comments will be published after the comment period closes.