News Article

ASEAN member actions on plastic and chemical pollution

Nations in Southeast Asia collectively working on reducing plastic pollution and related chemical hazards; Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signs off on project to “combat” marine plastic; Thailand plans ban on plastic scrap imports; new research available on sources of plastic pollution in Indonesia and Vietnam; Vietnam and Singapore implementing stricter chemical regulations; extended producer responsibility for plastic waste becomes law in Philippines

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Scientists find phthalates impact development of boys more than girls

Biomonitoring study reports association between maternal phthalate exposure and 24-month-old boy emotional/behavioral problems; short review discusses teratogenic effect and calls for health policies; research article detects phthalates in wide range of US foods, indicates phthalate migration from food processing equipment; review evaluates gas chromatography-based approaches to measure phthalates in aqueous and solid foods

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Chemical characterization of post-consumer and recycled plastics

Scientists perform target and non-target screening of recycled plastics and provide recommendations on methods; detect >280 organic chemicals and metals in 21 plastic flakes and pellets used in recycling; analyze several recycled polymers and find polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the only one currently complying with European circular economy requirements; compare analytical methods to assess the chemical composition of recyclates giving their strenghts and limitations