ECHA - Public consultation on 7 potential SVHCs  ข่าวโดย..Su ECHA opens public consultation on 7 proposals for new substances of very high concern from August 31 to October 14, 2015; proposals include phthalate used in FCMs and UV-filters permitted in packaging inks From August 31 to October 15, 2015 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is holding a public consultation on seven proposals to identify new substances of very high concern (SVHCs). These seven potential SVHCs have been proposed by ECHA itself, as well as by EU Member States Germany, Sweden and Austria: 1,3-propanesultone (CAS 1120-71-4), 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-(5-chlorobenzotriazol-2-yl)phenol (UV-327, CAS 3864-99-1), 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(tert-butyl)-6-(sec-butyl)phenol (UV-350, CAS 36437-37-3), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP, CAS 84-61-7), hexamethylene diacrylate (HDDA, CAS 13048-33-4), nitrobenzene (CAS 98-95-3), and perfluorononan-1-oic acid and its sodium and ammonium salts (CAS 375-95-1, 21049-39-8, 4149-60-4). DCHP is included in several inventories of food contact materials (FCMs), such as the U.S. food additive list by the Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew list), the ESCO working group list of non-plastic FCMs , and the FACET list of FCMs. It is also included in the SIN list (Substitute it now!), in the Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) list of substances with endocrine-disrupting effects, and it is categorized as an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) in the European Commission EDC database...
Read more at : http://www.foodpackagingforum.org/wp-content/plugins/newsletter/statistics/link.php?r=ODc7OTQ5O2h0dHA6Ly93d3cuZm9vZHBhY2thZ2luZ2ZvcnVtLm9yZy9uZXdzL2VjaGEtcHVibGljLWNvbnN1bHRhdGlvbi1vbi03LXBvdGVudGlhbC1zdmhjczs7Y2VjNmJiNDUyMTQ5ZmRlYWZlNzgyZjU2MzBiYzZiOGM%3D

In the future, the best chemistry practices will be green  ข่าวโดย..Su Gathering for a summit on green chemicals, industry leaders and academics discussed how to solve the problems that threaten to stall 20 years of good intentions...
Read more at : www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/sep/03/green-chemistry-john-warner-epa-toxic-substances-control-act-walmart-target-california

ECHA report on risk assessment of nanomaterials  ข่าวโดย..Su ECHA publishes extensive summary of workshop on risk assessment of nanomaterials In an article published on September 9, 2015 the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) informs about a report on the risk assessment of nanomaterials published in June 2015 by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)...
www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/echa-report-on-risk-assessment-of-nanomaterials

Assessing alternatives to chemicals of concern  ข่าวโดย..Su On September 4, 2015 the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) published a review paper on “ Alternatives assessment frameworks: Research needs for the informed substitution of hazardous chemicals. ” According to authors Molly M. Jacobs and colleagues from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, U.S., and the University of California Los Angeles, U.S., alternatives assessment is “a process for identifying, comparing and selecting safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (…) on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability.” The researchers reviewed 20 frameworks published from...
www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/assessing-alternatives-to-chemicals-of-concern

Toxic chemicals in recycled materials  ข่าวโดย..Su NGOs urge European Commission to ban recycling of materials containing toxic flame retardant DecaBDE, a chemical previously found in recycled plastic FCMs On September 8, 2015 the non-profit organization International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) published an article on a recent proposal under review by the European Commission (EC) suggesting the possibility to recycle materials that contain the flame retardant chemical decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE, CAS 1163-19-5)...
www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/toxic-chemicals-in-recycled-materials

Updated CLP Guidance document  ข่าวโดย..Su ECHA has updated the Introductory Guidance on the CLP Regulation. The update takes into account the full entry into force of the CLP Regulation and the end of the transition period for labelling mixtures according to DPD and classifying their components according to DSD. References to previous legislation and any obsolete information were removed.
Read more at : http://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/guidance-documents/guidance-on-clp

China to place restrictions on hazardous substances in cars  ข่าวโดย..Su China will prohibit the use of six hazardous substances in passenger vehicles from 1 January 2016. A mandatory standard is being implemented as part of a ten-year national sustainability plan, which includes improving the environmental record of car manufacturers. The standard, GB/T 30512-2014: Requirements for prohibited substances in automobiles, will apply to car parts for passenger cars containing fewer than nine seats (category 1M vehicles). A Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) bulletin (no 38) states that, from 1 January, manufacturers seeking type approval for new vehicles must include information on these restricted substances...
Read more at : https://chemicalwatch.com/24517/china-to-place-restrictions-on-hazardous-substances-in-cars

Measurements Improve Workspaces  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri Author: ChemistryViews.org Published: 22 June 2015 Copyright: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Source / Publisher: 720 Degree
Improving indoor air at workplaces makes employees feel better and a company more productive. 720 Degrees, a company started in 2012, offers indoor environmental quality monitoring services. Measuring devices approximately the size of two mobile phones are installed at the workplace. They monitor the environment and cover roughly 100 m²...
Read more at : http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/8030191/Measurements_Improve_Workspaces.html

Harmful toxin used in baby clothes should be banned, advocates say  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri An advocacy and research organisation, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is hoping to educate the public about the toxin antimony, push manufacturers to stop using it and ensure that the federal government adheres to its oversight responsibilities. Antimony is a naturally forming element and metalloid that is found predominantly as sulfide mineral stibnite and has been used by humans for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used it in cosmetics...
Read more at : http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/21/antimony-toxin-baby-clothes-government-oversight

U.S. chemical regulation reform gets boost as House passes TSCA rewrite  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday evening overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill that would update the nation's industrial-chemicals regulations for the first time in nearly 40 years. The bill—which would make it easier for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request new safety data on chemicals and regulate chemicals already on the market—takes a narrower approach than a competing bill in the Senate. But it brings Congress another step closer to making long-sought reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) a reality....
Read more at : http://news.sciencemag.org/chemistry/2015/06/u-s-chemical-regulation-reform-gets-boost-house-passes-tsca-rewrite

Helsinki, 15 June 2015 - The first new entry covers a series of mixed alkyl diesters (EC 271-094-0, CAS 68515-51-5; EC 272-013-1, CAS 68648-93-1) whic...อ่านต่อ

The OECD's Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials has started the publication of new data on 11 nanomaterials. Registrants are reminded to consi...อ่านต่อ

ECHA: restriction proposal on BPA  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) of ECHA agrees to restrict BPA in thermal paper. On June 11, 2015 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced in an article that its Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) has concluded on a restriction for bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7). The RAC supports the proposal of France to restrict the marketing of BPA-containing thermal paper, which is used e.g. in point of sale tickets and receipts. The risk for workers handling thermal paper is not sufficiently controlled, according to the RAC....
Read more at : http://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/echa-restriction-proposal-on-bpa

Get your substance identity right – here's how  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri Identifying your substance is one of the first steps you need to take when preparing a registration dossier under REACH. ECHA Newsletter spoke with Dr Stuart Niven, Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager at Harlan Laboratories Ltd, who gave a presentation on this topic at ECHA's Stakeholders' Day. Here is his advice to small and medium sized enterprises and other REACH registrants on the key aspects in building an accurate substance identity...
Read more at : http://newsletter.echa.europa.eu/home/-/newsletter/entry/3_15_get-your-substance-identity-right-heres-how

Oregon may regulate toxic chemicals in toys  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri A bill that would regulate toxic chemicals in children’s products is back before the Oregon Legislature. “Many of these chemicals in children’s products and toys can lead to serious health effects,” Sheri Malstrom, a public health nurse, said at a brief hearing in a Joint Ways and Means subcommittee Tuesday. The hearing was continued to Wednesday. Senate Bill 478 would require the state to maintain a list of chemicals of concern for children’s products, require manufacturers to provide notice of chemicals on the list that they use in children’s products, and eventually require manufacturers to remove or use substitutes for certain chemicals...
Read more at : http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2015/06/09/oregon-may-regulate-toxic-chemicals-toys/28750043/

Japanese tree plantations causing nitrogen pollution  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri FUKUOKA, Japan, June 10 (UPI) -- New research suggests not all trees are "green." Some trees cause pollution. A new study out of Japan suggests some forests are polluters on par with industrial farms and urban expanses. Deforestation is one of the largest drivers of climate change, second only to the proliferation of greenhouse gases. Trees, of course, are much revered for their ability to suck planet-warming CO2 from the atmosphere. Forests also help clean water, cool the environment and host the biodiversity and ecological balance that bolsters our natural resources....
Read more at: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/06/10/Japanese-tree-plantations-causing-nitrogen-pollution/4121433962915/

Cotton, cashmere, chemicals … what really goes into making our clothes?  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri June 9, 2015 — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has something to say about what you wear. While not a fashion arbiter and unable to advise on attire for family gatherings, the FTC oversees what appears on the labels inside your clothes. As the federal agency responsible for enforcing the Textile Products Identification Act and related laws, it makes sure clothing is accurately labeled with its fabric content. But it turns out, apart from these laws (and a few — including some state laws — that restrict certain hazardous substances from being used in children’s clothing), there is no overarching U.S. law that regulates or requires listing of materials outside of fabrics that go into producing our clothing. Why does this matter? Because manufacturers use hundreds of substances to produce clothing that don’t show up on clothing labels. And many of these are hazardous to the environment and to human health....
Read more at : http://ensia.com/features/cotton-cashmere-chemicals-what-really-goes-into-making-our-clothes/

Skin sensitisation – new methods to replace animal testing  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri All substances registered under REACH need to contain information on their skin sensitisation potential. Silvia Casati, Senior scientific officer from the European Union Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL-ECVAM) at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) tells ECHA Newsletter about some new methods that can be used to replace animal testing in many REACH registrations. In the last 10 years, there has been great progress in developing non-animal test methods. These methods include for example in vitro tests using cells or tissues and in silico methods using computer-based models. "I see two factors behind this development: a better understanding of the biology behind the adverse effects of substances and the changes in the European regulatory framework," Ms Casati explains.
Read More at : http://newsletter.echa.europa.eu/home/-/newsletter/entry/3_15_skin-sensitisation-new-methods-to-replace-animal-testing

The more they dig, the more they find: DDT cleanup continues for mid-Michigan town  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri ST. LOUIS, Mich. - During recent summers birds were found littered around the town, poisoned with a long-banned pesticide. This summer? The school athletic grounds, where kids practice football and softball, are being dug up after it was discovered they too are contaminated with DDT. It is the latest chapter in a seemingly endless effort to rid this small, rural mid-Michigan town of toxic chemicals that have plagued it since the 1960s. And, despite wildlife deaths and some lawns contaminated to levels deemed harmful to humans, no one is conducting health testing on DDT exposure in the community.

Schoolyard contamination
St. Louis, an hour drive north of state capital Lansing, has long dealt with contamination left behind by the Velsicol Chemical Corp., formerly Michigan Chemical, which manufactured pesticides until 1963 and abandoned loads of DDT, which was banned 40 years ago. The pesticide was made famous by Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, which exposed the hazards of DDT, especially for birds, in 1962. Populations of bald eagles and other birds crashed when DDT thinned their eggs, killing their embryos. Exposure also has been linked to multiple health problems in humans, especially developing babies. The pesticide, known for accumulating in food webs and persisting for decades in soil and river sediment, was banned in the United States in 1972. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took control of the Velsicol site in 1982....
Read more at : http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2015/jun/michigan-superfund-ddt-epa-birds-health-pesticide

The Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals 2015 has been Implemented  ข่าวโดย..Suwasri Original article from CIRS
The Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals 2015 (Catalog 2015) was published on 9 March 2015 and came into force on 1 May 2015. In the meantime, The Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals 2002 and The Catalog of Toxic Chemicals 2002 were both abolished. Catalog 2015 has reduced the total entry number from 3962 (3823 entries for hazardous chemicals and 335 entries for toxic chemicals) down to 2828. An in-depth interpretation by CIRS expert Ms. Grace Ma is made below on how enterprises comply and what influence will be made to the enterprises....
Read more at http://www.cirs-reach.com/news/The_Catalog_of_Hazardous_Chemicals_2015_has_been_Implemented.html