Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) explains the ban of bisphenol A in food contact materials in the EU and discusses what comes next; ban will only affect “intentional use”; comes into force late 2025 or early 2026
EU court decides on access to environmental information
European Court of Justice decision strengthens public access to data about chemical emissions into the environment; industry association worries about confidentiality of business information
Opinion: Scientists call European Commission’s proposed EDC regulation over-precautionary
Group of scientists calls for maintaining chemical regulation’s status quo; toxicologist and pharmacologist express concern that the forthcoming EDC regulation will not be based on science and erase established risk assessment approaches
Study characterizes chemicals present within recycled products
Scientific study characterizes chemicals contained in 210 consumer products made of recycled or virgin material regarding identity, functional use, structural class, and origin and prioritizes chemicals; 65% of chemicals with greater concentrations in recycled materials, along with a higher number of flame retardants, biocides, dyes, and fragrances in recycled materials
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
Rare earth elements found in FCMs, recycled plastics
Researchers at University of Plymouth find rare earth elements in 24 of 31 tested products including children’s toys, food contact materials (FCMs); highest abundance in plastic recycled from electronic waste; authors suggest plastic recycling process as source for contamination; suggest elements as indicators for presence of other additives such as brominated flame retardants
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