Today marks 1,000 days since the European Commission made a pledge in its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to ban the most harmful chemicals from all consumer products, through a revision of the EU’s chemicals safety law, REACH. The revision was promised for the end of 2022, but EU Commissioners decided to delay it after lobbying from the German chemicals industry. This … [Read more...] about EU pledge for toxic-free products at risk, as shown by internal Commission documents
Human health
How is the UK Government planning to tackle exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals?
At the end of March, rules to introduce new hazard classes for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances in the EU were published. This is a very important milestone towards much better protection from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) as it also includes a new category of suspected endocrine disruptors. Until recently it has been unclear what action the … [Read more...] about How is the UK Government planning to tackle exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals?
New hazard classes for endocrine disruptors and persistent and mobile chemicals: an important milestone
Last Friday rules to introduce new hazard classes for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances in the EU were finally published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It lays out newly established criteria for identifying endocrine disrupting properties of substances for the use across sectors. This is a world first. The delegated act, which amends … [Read more...] about New hazard classes for endocrine disruptors and persistent and mobile chemicals: an important milestone
Chemical safety testing as part of a stronger REACH, protecting health & environment, promoting alternative methods
Chemicals are an indispensable part of our daily life; some are harmless, while many may have harmful effects. But how do we properly assess whether chemicals are harmful or not? We need to assess how toxic a chemical may be, but also what its behaviour is in the environment - does it accumulate in organisms, including in our bodies? Does it stick around in the environment? … [Read more...] about Chemical safety testing as part of a stronger REACH, protecting health & environment, promoting alternative methods
Restriction for BPA and bisphenols of similar concern: small steps forward, but the piecemeal approach continues
CHEM Trust has raised the alarm about the endocrine (hormone) disrupting properties of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) for many years, highlighting that it is found in people and the environment. Unfortunately BPA is still in widespread use, as it is only banned in the EU in a few products such as baby bottles and thermal paper. But what is equally concerning is the increase in … [Read more...] about Restriction for BPA and bisphenols of similar concern: small steps forward, but the piecemeal approach continues
‘Addressing mixtures is needed and overdue’ – an interview with Professor Andreas Kortenkamp on chemical mixtures
CHEM Trust recently sat down with Professor Andreas Kortenkamp from Brunel University London to discuss his recent research on the impact of exposure to chemical mixtures on male fertility. The new study, ‘Combined exposures to bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins, paracetamol, and phthalates as drivers of deteriorating semen quality’, found that our exposures to mixtures of … [Read more...] about ‘Addressing mixtures is needed and overdue’ – an interview with Professor Andreas Kortenkamp on chemical mixtures
New study identifies hundreds of harmful chemicals used in food contact materials
A new peer-reviewed study published by the Food Packaging Forum and others has found that food contact materials could contain up to 388 harmful chemicals, which should be phased out urgently. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, identifies 388 Food Contact Chemicals of Concern (FCCoC) that could be used in food contact materials. Of these 388: … [Read more...] about New study identifies hundreds of harmful chemicals used in food contact materials
Human biomonitoring results reveal widespread exposure of general public to harmful chemicals
On 27th and 28th April the final conference of the research project HBM4EU brought together policymakers, scientists, civil society and industry representatives from across Europe to discuss the latest human biomonitoring data on harmful chemicals. The conference had a clear message: a lot more needs to be done to protect the general population from health impacts due to … [Read more...] about Human biomonitoring results reveal widespread exposure of general public to harmful chemicals
New EU roadmap proposes action to ban some of the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products
Yesterday the European Commission published the "Restrictions Roadmap", a new plan to restrict the use of a number of groups of chemicals, including bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS and flame retardants. The chemicals concerned all have severe hazards, including endocrine disruption, cancer-causing properties and persistence in the environment. They are routinely used in a wide … [Read more...] about New EU roadmap proposes action to ban some of the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products
UK NGOs call for urgent ban of all PFAS
CHEM Trust is joining health and environment UK NGOs calling on the UK Governments to urgently ban the use of all ‘forever chemicals’, PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances). It is the only way to prevent the continual pollution of the UK environment with the most persistent human-made chemicals known to date, and protect current and future generations from the impact … [Read more...] about UK NGOs call for urgent ban of all PFAS
