US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces procedural changes to strengthen its review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); removes confidentiality status of 377 chemicals; releases PFAS Roadmap with timeline of policy actions and commitments
NIAS detection in food packaging materials
Review presents new analytical approaches to identify non-intentionally added substances in food packaging materials
EFSA on epigenetics in risk assessment
EFSA publishes official report from the June 2016 colloquium on epigenetics in risk assessment
Minderoo Foundation systematically maps human health effects from plastic-associated chemicals
Interactive and openly available, the Plastic Health Map summarizes human health outcomes of certain plastic-associated chemicals and particles as published by peer-review articles between 1960 and 2021; includes more than 3500 studies for 1557 chemicals; identifies gaps, including only 30% of chemicals have been investigated for health impacts, few studies in low-income countries
Draft toxicity assessment for GenX and PFBS
U.S. EPA releases draft toxicity assessments for fluorinated substances ‘GenX chemicals’ and PFBS used as replacements for PFOA and PFOS; public comments accepted for 60 days after publication in Federal Register
PFAS alternatives have incomplete hazard profiles, says OECD
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports replacements for long-chain PFAS in paper and board food packaging have little or no available hazard information; examines 58 long-chain PFAS replacements: 10 have been formally reviewed by governmental authorities, 26 by industry, 18 have no hazard assessments; Environmental Health News reports US states to consider over 200 PFAS bills in 2022
EFSA changed abstract of its BPA risk assessment
Abstract of EFSA’s risk assessment now acknowledges low health concern associated with aggregate exposure to BPA
EFSA: Strategy 2020
Management board adopts EFSA’s strategy 2020; main objectives include engagement of public and stakeholders in scientific assessment; policy update on EFSA’s independence planned; CEF and ANS Panels to be replaced by new panels in 2018
EFSA identifies gaps in risk assessment guidance
Scientific Committee recommends new EFSA guidance on the use of the weight of evidence approach and biological relevance in toxicology
EFSA seeks feedback on communicating uncertainty
EFSA publishes draft guidance on communication of uncertainty in scientific assessments; public consultation open until June 24, 2018