Maine and Minnesota consult on draft policies concerning bans or reporting requirements on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food contact materials and articles; California Attorney General warns companies of penalties for selling or failing to disclose PFAS-containing food packaging and cookware; Nevada governor vetoes PFAS bill, state senator plans to reintroduce bill in 2024
BPA-free can coatings progressing slowly
Developing non-BPA can coatings challenges manufacturers; lower-production-volume raw materials result in higher cost; lower performance reduces shelf-life
US state of Washington picks new chemical groups for regulatory scrutiny
Washington state Department of Ecology publishes list of seven new priority chemical groups for future regulatory scrutiny as part of the Safer Products for Washington program; includes lead, cadmium, and formaldehyde; earlier in 2024, Washington passed the strongest regulation on lead in cookware in the US
Scientists emphasize importance for LCAs to consider plastic particle impacts
Review provides understanding of how knowledge gaps on long-term plastic particle fate affect life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and distort policy decisions; exemplifies discussion comparing a fossil-based with a biodegradable plastic; highlights importance of covering plastic particle impacts and its unknowns transparently in LCAs to allow reliable material comparisons and responsible decision making
Researchers detect chemicals present in and migrating from PET bottles
Two studies analyze polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals; identify several volatile chemicals present in and migrating from new PET bottles as well as from bottles commercially available in Japan; develop online method for quantifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
Antimony migration in Turkish and Brazilian PET bottled beverages below TDI
Two studies assess antimony presence and migration from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles sold in Brazil and Turkey; detect antimony in almost all samples and in levels below Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI); find migration to increase with temperature, storage time, and beverage pH
Wrestling with the externalities of the plastics supply chain
As the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee of the UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution approaches, publications highlight the diverse effects the plastics supply chain has on human health and the environment, particularly the burden on vulnerable communities
Microplastics measured in newborn, infant, and adult feces
Small study assesses polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) microplastics in human feces; finds PET and PC in all infant stool and in most meconium and adult stool samples; suggests higher exposure of infants than adults
Microplastics: recent insights into human exposure, cellular uptake, cancer metastasis
Researchers report plastic fragments may exacerbate breast cancer metastasis; review summarizes nanoplastic uptake into human cells; studies find occupational microplastics exposure can be reduced by wearing face masks; millions of micro- and nanoplastics are released during 30-second food blending; scientists more worried about microplastic impacts on the environment than humans
Flame retardants above regulatory limits in some ‘eco-friendly’ baking papers
Study of bio-based food contact articles made of sugarcane bagasse or cellulose wood pulp labelled “natural”, “compostable”, or “biodegradable” finds PFAS and organophosphate esters (OPEs), a type of flame retardant and plasticizer; concentrations highest in baking papers; though purchased in Italy, some OPEs above EU regulatory concentration limit of 0.01 mg/kg