European Commission and EU Member States agree to launch an EU Enforcement Action Plan on bamboo powder-containing plastic food contact materials (FCMs) to ensure that bamboo and other illegal plant-based additives are not marketed in the EU
Polystyrene food packaging may require warning label in California
The State of California wants to add styrene to list of known carcinogens, resultantly food packaging made from polystyrene might require warning label
Scientists measure mixtures of EDCs from human placenta
Study by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) finds chemical mixture extracts from human placenta with endocrine-disrupting properties, confirming developmental exposure to EDCs in the womb; novel method can help identify the link between chemical exposures and harmful human health outcomes
Eating fish that eat plastic
Article in The Guardian provides extensive summary on plastic ocean pollution, microplastic contamination of seafood, implications for human health, and ways forward
Focus on perfluorinated chemicals
CHEM Trust summarizes concerns related to perfluorinated compounds, advocates for rapid phase out
FCCmigex database updated
The Food Packaging Forum updates Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex); encompasses 149 additional studies with more than 4600 new entries
Plastics identified as source of legal liability
Minderoo Foundation finds liabilities from the health and environmental effects of microplastics and plastic-related chemicals to be worth more than $20 billion in the US by 2030; potentially up to $100 billion in liabilities expected by 2030 with the number expected to increase in the future; article published by the American Bar Association focuses on potential corporate liabilities from micro- and nanoplastics in particular
UNEP reports assess impacts of global plastic pollution, potential solutions
Two publications from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provide overview and assessment of global challenges related to marine litter and plastic waste; include set of infographics summarizing key thematic areas; book chapter proposes organizing diverse problem formulations and potential solutions to plastic pollution into a conceptual framework, considers necessary value judgments and world views
Opinion: Concerns about EDCs in surface waters
Daily newspaper criticizes lack of funding and guidance on how to protect public waters
‘The trouble with plastics’
Special issue of peer-reviewed journal Birth Defects Research presents a collection of articles on plastics’ effects on human health, with a particular focus on early development