UK civil society organization Wrap finds selling produce without plastic packaging and date labels would save 100,000 tons food and 10,300 tons plastic in UK yearly; fruits and vegetables studied have the same shelf life without packaging; packaging sizes encourage overconsumption; date labeling encourages early disposal; Foodwatch petitions German government to ban plastic packaging for produce by 2026
Colombia launches Plastics Pact while previous Pacts struggle with 2025 targets
Colombia Plastics Pact launches; the second Latin American country to join the Plastics Pact program; reports show UK and US Plastics Pacts are unlikely to hit 2025 goals as total plastic use keeps increasing
Chemical analysis of bottled waters in France
Scientists analyze French natural mineral waters and spring waters at bottling plants; hormones, pharmaceuticals, phthalates not detected; few samples contain low levels of herbicides, alkylphenols, or PFASs
Letter to the authors of BPA oral absorption study
EHP publishes a letter to Gayrard et al. and the researchers’ response, points to differences in BPA exposure throughout the body
EDCs and manufacturing doubt
Prominent EDC researchers publish rebuttal to critique of WHO/UNEP State of the Science 2012 report, accuse industry-funded scientists to deliberately confuse non-experts to delay regulatory action
India updating ionomer resin standard
Bureau of Indian Standards publishes draft update to standard for ionomer resins in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, and drinking water; accepting comments on the proposal until December 6, 2022
Evidence evaluation in risk assessment: Detailed guidance needed
Weight-of-evidence evaluation and systematic review methods are promoted in most chemical risk assessment frameworks in the EU, but clear guidance is lacking; scientists suggest joint guidance development by EU agencies dealing with chemicals
Chemical metabolism in young and elderly
Scientists review studies demonstrating differences in drug pharmacokinetics between young and elderly people, recommend use of varying uncertainty factors for acceptable daily exposure calculations due to sensitivity differences
RIVM studies argue applied maximum doses too low
Researchers from Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) publish two peer-reviewed articles critically reviewing determination and application of maximum doses in toxicity studies; find that recent toxicity studies increasingly using unjustified low maximum doses, call for more clarity in testing guidelines
Webinar on CLARITY-BPA core study
U.S. Food and Drug Administration hosts webinar on guideline studies conducted within CLARITY-BPA program, September 13, 2018; registration now open