At the One Ocean Summit on February 10, the United States and France delivered a joint statement supporting a global plastics treaty; agree treaty should address whole lifecycle of plastics and include binding commitments
Stakeholders discuss global plastic treaty
Friends of Europe hosts online debate bringing together stakeholder groups from industry, regulatory agencies, and NGOs; considers how to achieve a circular plastics economy, discusses the necessity of a global plastic treaty, prevention of plastic waste trade and illegal waste dumping, extended producer responsibility schemes (EPRs), need for unified EU plastic waste market; discussions build on report by European Environment Agency, case study by Zero Waste Europe and report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation
BPA replacement also interferes with the endocrine system at low doses
New study shows that BPS, a BPA replacement, leads to cell proliferation at low doses and interferes with normal estradiol induced signaling pathways
Nature: scientists claim effects at very low dose, regulators are not yet convinced
Researchers are discovering low-dose effects of endocrine disruptors since the seventies yet the issue remains a controversy and chemical regulation remains to be modified
New FPF report: Standardized BMD modeling
New study develops a standardized approach to BMD modeling, allows for the batch-calculation of BMDs and BMDLs of large dose response data sets
Opinion: New FDA study on BPA is flawed
FDA study does not find low dose effects of BPA, other scientist criticize study as flawed
EFSA assesses new plasticizer for PVC
European Food Safety Authority’s CEP Panel finds trimellitic acid, tris(2-ehtylhexyl) ester safe for use as plasticizer in soft PVC for making single-use wrap films or repeated use tubing
Microplastics in mineral water
Scientists detect microplastics in mineral waters packed in plastic bottles, glass bottles, beverage cartons; highest content found in carbonated water from refillable plastic bottles; packaging is one possible contamination source
Forbes: FCMs linked to fecundity problems, new safety laws to come?
Forbes reports on two studies linking BPA and plasticizers to reproductive problems, low dose testing may eventually modify safety tests and laws
Opinion: BPA exposure may not be sufficiently high to cause harm
Director of industry’s BPA coalition reviews BPA biomonitoring data, concludes that levels are safe but BPA replacements may be of interest