News Article
abril 26, 2022

Studies report on bisphenol exposure and health effects

Review summarizes plastic-associated bisphenol A (BPA) sources, exposure, and human health risks; dietary bisphenol exposure via packaged food consumption in Saudi Arabia is potential human health concern; review discusses bisphenols’ effects on the cardiovascular system and recommends human-relevant studies with bisphenols other than BPA; consensus scoring analysis identifies endocrine-disrupting food contact chemicals potentially interacting with nuclear receptors

Topics: bisphenol A, bisphenol S, endocrine disruptor, exposure
News Article
agosto 30, 2023

Summer 2023 research snapshot: PFAS in food packaging, food, and potential health impacts

A summary of eight studies; scientists quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in French fast food packaging; detect eleven PFAS in baking trays from China but not Spain; find PFAS in straws made of paper, bamboo, glass, and plastic; “compostable” service ware can contaminate compost with PFAS; find PFAS in edible oil worldwide; further articles focus on PFAS in drinking water, in Asia, and effects on child respiratory health

Topics: exposure, migration, PFAS, toxicity testing
News Article
junio 7, 2023

Science and statecraft at the second Plastics Treaty negotiation

Diplomats from across the globe descended on Paris, France to continue developing the UN treaty on plastics pollution; Scientist’s Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty members spoke to delegates from every continent, representing 33% of the world’s population; UN secretariat will develop INC-2 synthesis report, create zero draft by INC-3; elements for intersessional work can be submitted until August 15, 2023; INC-3 in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2023

Topics: France, plastics treaty, UN, UNEP
News Article
enero 11, 2023

Plastic recycling: company commitments and chemical safety challenges

Scientists report most large companies commit to reducing plastic pollution but focus on recycling; extrusion of recycled materials and legacy compounds in recycled materials as safety challenge; some substances increase others decrease with the increase in recycled content in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles; tentatively identify 212 volatile chemicals in 57 different recycled PET flakes available in China; present migration model to characterize the exposure and risk of PET oligomers

Topics: circular economy, plastics, recycling, regulation, risk assessment
News Article
octubre 31, 2023

Why is the global plastics treaty necessary?

Minderoo Foundation scientists publish commentary; to be successful the treaty needs to include a global plastic production cap, limits on single-use plastic production, extended producer responsibility scheme, ban on plastic combustion, and disclosure of all plastic chemicals

Topics: plastics, regulation
News Article
agosto 4, 2023

Degradation of compostable plastics can increase toxicity, scientists emphasize

Studies analyze biodegradable – including compostable – plastics for their in vitro toxicity and chemical composition; comparison with conventional plastics indicates higher toxicity of compostables which further increases with photodegradation and composting; detect brominated flame retardants in “biodegradable”-labeled food packaging

Topics: bioplastics, chemical analytics, toxicity testing
News Article
enero 18, 2022

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

Topics: chemical analytics, exposure, migration, paper & board, photointitiators, plastics, risk assessment