Petition File No. 611
Group 16. Control of Hazardous Substances: Drug Exposures
Petition File No. 611
California Nurses for Environmental Health & Justice
The petition requests to amend title 8 to require the use of fume hoods when crushing pharmaceuticals in health care facility settings. The petitioner seeks to address the potential exposure to various medications when nurses crush pills to administer medications to patients. The petition also includes a table of potential mitigation strategies with time frames and pro/con analysis.
The Petitioner asserts:
• Tablet crushing is an exposure mechanism to drugs
• Exposure to pharmaceutical particulate matter has been linked to adverse health impacts such as premature death in people with heart and lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased pulmonary function, and increased respiratory symptoms
• Potential unknown adverse health risks due to cumulative exposure
February 2026