US Environmental Protection Agency proposes to classify two PFAS as hazardous substances; would obligate manufacturers who released the chemicals into environment to register the release and potentially pay for cleanup; Over 2800 known contaminated sites; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggests doctors test more groups for PFAS exposure; California likely to implement bill to register nearly all products with intentionally added PFAS
EEA briefing on biodegradable and compostable plastics
European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes report providing on overview of challenges and opportunities; includes introduction to relevant terminology, implications of use, and comparison of existing certifications; calls for clearer labeling and increased campaigns to inform consumers
EU legislation on waste
Council of the European Union and EU Parliament provisionally agree on EU Commission’s proposals for revision of EU waste legislation; introduce new binding targets for packaging waste recycling, define requirements for extended producer responsibility
Regulatory identification of BPA as endocrine disruptor
Special issue of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology addresses regulatory identification of bisphenol A as endocrine disruptor, summarizes evidence for endocrine-mediated adverse effects on estrous cycle, mammary gland development, neurobehavior, metabolism
Endocrine Society criticizes EU’s EDC strategy
Endocrine Society deems EU’s EDC criteria insufficient to protect public health, EDC guidance too restrictive, calls for extending EDC strategy to cover more product groups, including FCMs, and to protect most vulnerable populations, such as fetuses, children, adolescents
Towards standardization of paper and cardboard sample preparation procedures
Scoping review assesses state-of-the-art of paper and cardboard food packaging safety assessment; maps sample preparation approaches, challenges, and factors influencing chemical migration; provides guidance to develop and evaluate standardized sample preparation methods
Science publishes special issue on “Our Plastics Dilemma”
American Association for the Advancement of Science publishes special journal issue on plastics; includes reviews, perspectives, and news on various components of the plastics value chain; particular focus on waste management technologies that may contribute to a circular plastics economy, effects of plastic pollution on animals and the environment, support for a UN agreement on plastics
Update: India’s ban on single-use plastic items
India officially adopts Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021; bans import, manufacture, and sale of plastic candy and ice cream sticks, plates, cups, cutlery, trays, and certain wrapping films after July 1, 2022
Scientists agree: Possibly no thresholds for EDCs
EC Chief Scientific Advisor meets experts, consensus on EDC definition and non-threshold hypothesis; implications for risk assessment remain under debate
Endocrine disruption and the next generation of chemicals
Chemists, toxicologists collaborate to develop safer chemicals by compiling a Tiered Protocol for Endocrine Disruption (TiPED) testing, published in the Green Chemistry journal. Their goal is to eliminate the hazard of endocrine disruption, rather than attempting to control exposures as current approaches do. Certainty on absence of endocrine disruption currently can only be achieved with whole organism experiments, according to the authors.