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Mapping microplastics in the male reproductive system

Study provides an in-depth look at microplastics in the male reproductive system, analyzes human and mouse samples to chart concentrations and polymer types; finds microplastics in all human testes samples and majority of semen samples; larger plastic particles may get trapped in testis, leading to higher concentrations; identifies correlation between urbanization, home-cooked meals, and body scrub used to microplastics concentration

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Carcinogenicity of ‘cocktails’ highlighted

Series of new studies finds mixtures of everyday non-carcinogenic chemicals to be of concern for causing cancer; individual chemicals present at low levels; opportunity for improvement of chemical risk assessment and primary prevention of cancer

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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

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EFSA: Draft opinion on NMDR open for consultation

European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) draft opinion reviews literature on assessment of non-monotonic dose responses (NMDRs), finds lack of standards for statistical approaches; suggests stepwise approach for ambiguous ‘apparent’ NMDRs; approach applied in two case studies finds no NMDR for bisphenol A (BPA) but does for di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP); open for comments until February 4, 2021