Bayer may sell plastic business
Bloomberg News reports on potential sale of plastic business by Bayer AG
Risk assessing chemical mixtures
European Commission’s Joint Research Centre reviews risk assessments of chemical mixtures for e.g. pesticides, phthalates, and FCMs; identifies need to address mixtures across chemical classes and legislative sectors
Opinion: Shift burden of proof to manufacturers
The Hill commentary suggests shifting burden of proof to manufacturers; stresses the need for protection of vulnerable subpopulations under reformed TSCA
Study reveals knowledge gaps on PET oligomers migrating from FCMs
Scientists investigate available research on hazard and exposure of 34 oligomers in PET for food contact; 74% of them found to migrate; only 38% have been tested for their safety using computer models, while only one was tested for safety in organisms; authors call for further research and better risk assessment
Nature: Debate flares around EDC policy
Science journal Nature reports on the current debate amongst scientists regarding the European Commission’s EDC policy
Plastics in a circular economy: research status, environmental leakage, food safety hazards
Recent studies perform semi-systematic review of published circular economy literature focusing on plastics over past 21 years, develop framework for plastics in circular economy; find Dutch food packaging plastic waste polluting oceans, question effectiveness of recycling; summarize chemical and microbial hazards related to circular food production systems
New database provides 3D structures of EDCs
Freely available “EDCs DataBank” contains three-dimensional structures of 615 molecules, suitable for virtual screening
FDA still to address ortho-phthalates
NGO calls on U.S Food and Drug Administration to rule on three outstanding petitions regarding the use of ortho-phthalates in contact with food
Microplastics measured in human blood and mouse brains
First human biomonitoring study encounters plastic particles of four different polymer types in human blood; in vivo study reports polystyrene nanoparticles pass blood-brain barrier and induce neurotoxicity in mice; review summarizes plastic particle and titanium dioxide impacts on human gut epithelial integrity, gut homeostasis, and intestinal inflammation