Silent Spring Institute launches mobile app helping users avoid toxic substances in everyday consumer products
US FDA adds seven new substances to FCS inventory
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds seven new entries to its Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substance (FCS) Notifications
PFAAs and DDE may affect thyroid hormone levels
Prenatal exposure to PFAAs and DDE may be associated with T4 levels in infants, Dutch study shows
Study calls for identical management of EDCs
Study commissioned by EU Parliament recommends identical management of endocrine disrupting chemicals across sectors within the EU, calls for total prevention of human exposure, prioritizes six key research areas
Adverse health effects of low-dose mixtures
Scientists evaluate health effects of a mixture of 27 environmental chemicals in rats exposed to low concentrations comparable to current human exposure levels; find effects on weight, histology, gene expression in the liver, and metabolome of blood plasma
Biodegradable polyactic acid does not degrade in marine environment, study finds
Scientists test polylactic acid (PLA) plastic advertised as biodegradable along with standard polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics for degradation in real marine environment; no signs of degradation found after 428 days; researchers say biodegradable might be misleading term
Survey on willingness to pay to avoid health impacts
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to improve methodologies for assessing costs and benefits of chemicals management; planned study to include surveys on consumers’ willingness to pay to avoid adverse health and environmental impacts
Studying phthalates: Linkage with dietary habits and molecular changes
Biomonitoring finds regular takeaway food consumption increases phthalate exposure; intervention study links plastic packaged hot soup consumption with increased phthalate exposure and changes in mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines; structural analysis suggests non-phthalate alternative plasticizers have potential for thyroid hormone disruption
FPF overview presentation on reuse and COVID-19
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) presentation provides a look into the ongoing multi-stakeholder debate on the safety of reusable food packaging during the COVID-19 pandemic; reviews recommendations from governments, calls for action from industry associations and civil society
JRC report on nanomaterial identification
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes report with guidance on measurement techniques to identify nanomaterials under the EU definition; includes practical examples and flowchart to support analysis