European Chemicals Agency recommends adding nine substances of very high concern (SVHCs) to the REACH Authorisation list; non-profit organization Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) criticizes omission of some substances as well as delays on behalf of European Commission
EU court confirms BPA as SVHC for endocrine effects on wildlife
Industry association PlasticsEurope loses third court case challenging legal classification of bisphenol A (BPA) as substance of very high concern (SVHC); EU General Court supports European Chemicals Agency’s recognition of BPA’s endocrine disrupting effects on wildlife
Report outlines how plastic production harms human health, environment, economy
Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health publishes extensive report summarizing plastics’ effects across life cycle on human health, environment, and the economy; health effects cost society hundreds of billions every year; report includes actions for “governments and industries to minimize the negative consequences of global plastic contamination”
GUTS model adapted to chemical mixtures
Study in Environmental Science Technology on adapted General Unified Threshold model for Survival (GUTS) for environmental risk assessment of chemical mixtures; includes time dimension, approach can be extended to multiple compounds, evaluate synergistic or additive interaction
Commission presents ‘European Green Deal’
European Commission publicly announces new deal to serve as roadmap for making EU’s economy sustainable; includes creation of chemicals strategy for sustainability, zero-pollution action plan, circular economy action plan, farm to fork strategy; timeline for actions published
Review of food packaging attributes on life cycle impacts
Peer-reviewed article in the journal Environmental Science and Technology reviews 71 published life cycle assessment (LCA) studies comparing packaging; investigates correlation of attributes such as recyclability and being biobased on total environmental impacts, recommends against focusing on individual attributes
Researchers detect chemicals present in and migrating from PET bottles
Two studies analyze polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals; identify several volatile chemicals present in and migrating from new PET bottles as well as from bottles commercially available in Japan; develop online method for quantifying non-intentionally added substances (NIAS)
New safety assessment procedure for unknown NIAS
New safety assessment of unknown non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in food contact materials (FCM) presented
BfR statement on bamboo cups and tableware
German institute for risk assessment publishes position statement on melamine-formaldehyde resins, including tableware made with bamboo fibers; warns consumers against using such tableware with hot liquids; recommends lowering specific migration limit of formaldehyde in EU regulation from 15 to 6 mg/kg
Update: Foodwatch mineral oil petition
Foodwatch petition against mineral oils in food collects more than 100,000 signatures and is handed to EU Health Commissioner Andriukaitis; MOSH and MOAH contamination found in premium chocolates and doughnuts