On March 8^th, 2019, The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced that it had received a request from The Vision Council (TVC) for a Safe Use Determination (SUD) for exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) from certain polycarbonate eyewear products.

On April 9^th, 2020, OEHHA has issued a Safe Use Determination for exposures to BPA from certain polycarbonate prescription glasses and sunglasses, over-the-counter (OTC) reading glasses, non-prescription sunglasses, and safety glasses that are manufactured, distributed, or sold by TVC member companies, with extractable concentrations of BPA from four parts of polycarbonate eyewear products as follows:

• Temple: 25 μg/g *
• Nose pad: 68 μg/g
• Frame: 120 μg/g
• Lens: 302 μg/g

* Note：μg/g = mg/kg = ppm

Based on OEHHA’s screening-level analysis and data provided by TVC, on behalf of its member companies, the upper-end estimate of dermal exposure to BPA for users of certain polycarbonate eyewear products manufactured, distributed, or sold by TVC member companies, with extractable concentrations of BPA less than the limit specified above, would not require a Proposition 65 warning. If the supplier is not a TVC member cannot rely on the issued SUD. They would have to go through similar exposure assessment.

BPA is mainly used in the manufacture of polycarbonate, epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyphenolic ether and poly sulfonate resin. These products are high-risk materials containing BPA.

This determination is only for BPA in polycarbonate eyewear products. Company should still evaluate if the eyewear contains other Proposition 65 listed chemical above safe harbor level and require a Prop65 warning.

The Vision Council: https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/

Member list: https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/member-companies

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