Prenatal exposure to PFAAs and DDE may be associated with T4 levels in infants, Dutch study shows
Marketplace for chemical alternatives
Non-profit organization ChemSec launches new online resource aimed to facilitate advertising and finding commercially available substitutes to hazardous substances
JRC: New nanomaterial platform
European research center releases online nanomaterial platform, integrates information currently dispersed across the web
The chemical and waste footprint of food delivery in China
Study uses online food delivery sales data from nearly 200 Chinese cities, combined with packaging samples from 18 of those cities to model packaging waste generation and chemical exposure from waste incineration; some degradation products with higher concentrations than intentionally added parent product; over 50 tons of the targeted additives likely released into the atmosphere from Chinese waste incinerators
China approves new FCMs, additives, resins
National Health Commission announces newly approved additives for food contact materials (FCMs), expanded FCM uses, and resins for use in plastics and coatings
FDA adds 7 substances to food contact inventory
U.S. Food and Drug Administration adds 7 new entries to Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications
EU notifies C9-C14 PFCA restriction to WTO
European Union notifies World Trade Organization of proposed amendment to REACH Restriction List (Annex XVII) to restrict manufacturing, use, placing on the market and import of C9-C14 perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), their salts and related substances within the EU; long-chain PFCAs can be present in food contact materials as impurities but also degradation products of long-chain fluorotelomers
Scientists investigate chemicals in plant-based materials
Review summarizes chemicals present in and migrating from food contact articles made with wood, bamboo, and other plant-based materials; researchers identify and quantify 25 non-volatile compounds from bamboo, palm leaf, wood and wheat pulp dishes; tentatively identify 115 non-volatile chemicals in extracts from six plant fiber/plastic composites; detect phthalates in Brazilian dry foods in cellulose-based packaging
Several studies determine chemical migration from food packaging
Researchers from several European and Chinese institutions develop methods to explore chemicals in food contact materials (FCMs); report styrene migration from different polystyrene FCMs into several food matrices; detect photoinitiators in paper FCMs and chlorinated paraffins in green tea and its packaging; find irradiation treatment of metalized polypropylene to reduce migration of tested chemicals
Commission publishes EDC criteria
European Commission proposes strongly science-based criteria to identify endocrine disruptors, endorses WHO definition, and publishes impact assessment on EDC criteria