California Mulls Bans on Toxic Ingredients

California has long been the state that's led the nation in protecting consumers from potentially toxic ingredients commonly used to manufacture everyday products.

It's already banned (starting in 2009) phthalates, an ingredient in plastics that may interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in the body, and new bills in the state legislature introduced Friday would ban the use of phthalates in personal care products like shampoos and lotions, Bisphenol A in toys and other children's products, and lead in lipstick.

Such a bill would tackle some of the biggest product scandals of the past year, following the discovery of lead in common lipsticks and both Bisphenol A and phthalates in just about everything. Lead is a known hazard, capable of poisoning adults and permanently damaging the brains of children. The effects of the other two chemicals, present in many plastics, are less certain, but laboratory testing on animals, and the ubiquity of the chemicals in the environment and our bodies, has raised serious concerns among leading-edge scientists and advocacy groups.

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