GLP core study of CLARITY-BPA research program finds ‘few significant effects’ in rats chronically exposed to bisphenol A; American Chemistry Council emphasizes that BPA is safe for consumers
Testing for developmental neurotoxicity
Special issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology features 18 articles discussing alternative (non-animal) methods for assessing chemicals’ potential to harm neurodevelopment in children
Cardiotoxicity of BPA
CLARITY-BPA study finds BPA exposure to increase incidence and severity of cardiomyopathy, promoting myocardial degeneration; BPA’s cardiotoxicity could be caused by adverse vascular events
US EPA rejects setting perchlorate limits in drinking water
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces that no federal limits will be set on perchlorate in drinking water; administration defends decision as necessary to remove overregulation, health advocates argue it is illegal and unscientific
United Nations commissioner recalls the human ‘right to science’
Explains that this right has never been that threatened before although key to the survival of humankind; provides six steps ensuring human rights to benefit from science such as a protection of scientists from attacks and against conflicts-of-interests
Industry report on circular plastics technology
Industry associations publish report summarizing technical solutions supporting EU plastics strategy
Science-based proposals for reducing packaging and increasing recycling rates
Researchers investigate packaging use and recycling as well as improvement options; find globalization and time-deprived society to majorly drive food packaging use and recommend economic degrowth to reduce use; report 11% of Spain’s plastic waste efficiently recycled, well below official reports from waste management companies; emphasize need to change material and packaging design to reach circularity targets
Draft regulation for plastic FCMs in Latin America
Argentina notifies World Trade Organization of proposed revisions to Mercosur regulation on plastics and polymeric coatings for food contact; comments accepted until November 4, 2018
California creates 4-year microplastics strategy
California Ocean Protection Council (COPC) publishes unanimously-approved roadmap for state microplastics policy; includes 22 possible immediate actions to limit microplastics based on current knowledge and a 13-point research strategy to inform later actions; German government publishes report on the state of knowledge of microplastics pollution and options for action
How to integrate chemical aspects into the global plastic treaty
Scientists share perspective that all chemicals in plastics need considering in the global plastic treaty also to not hamper technological solutions; recommend key elements to tackle plastic pollution problem holistically including less complexity, as well as more transparency and incentives