Topics
microplastics
September 1, 2020
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) disapproves of updates the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) made to its restriction proposal for microplastics in consumer and professional products; criticizes increase in microplastic size limit to 100 nm; ECHA defends changes, argues that regulation must be enforceable, cites lacking analytical techniques
Topics: ECHA, microplastics
Reading time: 3 minutes
July 24, 2020
Analysis calculates current commitments will only reduce plastic pollution flows into oceans by 7%; implementing all feasible solutions now could cut pollution by up to 78%; authors call for urgent and coordinated action by all stakeholders, redirecting all current and future investments away from virgin plastic infrastructure
Reading time: 2 minutes
July 21, 2020
Author Rick Smith describes experiment carried out on himself with University of Rochester to identify uptake of microplastics in his diet; article discusses unknowns and concerns held by scientific experts, criticizes increased plastic use during COVID-19 pandemic
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 26, 2020
U.S. California’s Water Resource Control Board adopts definition for microplastics in drinking water; long-term monitoring of microplastics planned in drinking water supplies to understand implications for public health
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
June 16, 2020
Industry associations and non-governmental organizations send letter to UK authorities urging ban on all oxo-degradable plastics in the country; call for UK to uphold equivalent standards to EU legislation after leaving the bloc
Reading time: 1 minute
April 29, 2020
American Chemistry Council (ACC) shifts presentations from canceled GlobalChem conference online; series of ten webinars to cover topics such as US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) registration, microplastics, and global chemicals management
Topics: microplastics, TSCA
Reading time: 1 minute
April 21, 2020
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) publishes background article and dossier informing about microplastics; discusses sources, analytical approaches, health hazards, and risk assessment
Topics: dossier, microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
April 21, 2020
Microplastics are an invisible form of plastic pollution; effects on human health and the environment are largely unknown; summary article and FPF dossier define microplastics, explain sources and occurrence, focus on food contact materials
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 9 minutes
April 9, 2020
Literature review estimates 20% of sampled aquatic organisms have microplastics in stomach and intestines, average of 4 microplastic particles per organism; call for urgent standardization of analytical methods
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 24, 2020
State Water Resource Control Board for the U.S. state of California publishes draft definition for microplastics in drinking water, criteria include having at least 2 dimensions in 1 – 5,000 µm range; public comments accepted until April 24, 2020
Topics: microplastics
Reading time: 1 minute
