California lists vinylidene chloride as a carcinogen under Prop 65

California has listed vinylidene chloride as a carcinogen. Also known as 1,1-dichloroethene, the chemical is used to make polymers, including flexible film food wraps, as well as fibers and adhesives, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) last year listed vinylidene chloride as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” California requires that chemicals deemed to be carcinogens by IARC be listed under the state’s Proposition 65, a 1986 statute that requires warning labels on products containing substances that cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive problems. The state has proposed setting a no-significant-risk level for vinylidene chloride of 0.88 µg per day, which would require manufacturers and retailers to label only products that expose people to greater amounts of the substance.