HEEDS News: December 2022

Webinar: Health and Environmental Hazards of Artificial Turf and Safer Alternatives
Jan. 5
Featuring Rachel Massey, ScD, and Lindsey Pollard, MS. Sponsored by the Cancer and Environment Network of Southwest Pennsylvania.

P.E.P. Webinars x DyNAMic Discussions: Frameworks for Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methodologies: Part 2
Jan. 18

CHE Café: What's Next in Environmental Health?
Feb. 10
Featuring a conversation between Dr. Linda Birnbaum and Dr. Ami Zota. Sponsored by the Collaborative for Health and Environment.

Duke Integrated Toxicology & Environmental Health Program Spring 2023 Seminar Series
Thursdays, Jan. 12 - Apr. 27, noon EST
In person and online. Free and open to the public.

Virtual Workshop: Integrating Environmental Data with Other Omics for Cancer Epidemiology
Feb. 14-15
Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)/NIEHS Cancer and the Environment Working Group.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Hazards and Opportunities (ECHO) Course
May 21 - June 4, 2023
Woods Hole, Mass.
The course focuses on the chemical, biological, and societal challenges of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and new opportunities for moving forward. Applications are due Feb. 14.

Environmental Health Groups Welcome Introduction of European Harmonized Hazard Classes for Endocrine Disruptors

The European Commission just released its proposal for the creation of hazard classes for EDCs under the EU legislation for classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP). By the Health and Environment Alliance.

Statistics for the New Chemicals Review Program under TSCA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a redesign and updates to the statistics webpage for the New Chemicals Review Program. The update includes additional information and metrics on the EPA's review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), increasing transparency. The EPA also has a web application ChemView for public access to non-confidential business information on chemicals regulated under TSCA, including new chemical notices and notices of substantial risk.

Changes to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting Requirements for PFAS
EPA proposed a rule that would improve reporting of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the TRI by eliminating an exemption that allows facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals are used in small concentrations. Comments due Feb. 3. See related, EPA Proposes to Close ‘Loophole’ for Reporting ‘Forever Chemical’ Releases, from The Hill.

TSCA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for PFAS; Notice of Data Availability and Request for Comment

Comments due Dec. 27.

Cumulative Risk Assessment; Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC); Request for Nominations of ad hoc Expert Reviewers
EPA is seeking nominations of scientific experts as peer reviewers of two documents, “Draft Proposed Principles of Cumulative Risk Assessment Under the Toxic Substances Control Act” and “Draft Proposed Approach for Cumulative Risk Assessment of High-Priority Phthalates and a Manufacturer Requested Phthalate Under the Toxic Substance Control Act.” Nominations due Jan. 20.

Germany Proposes a Restriction on BPA and Other Bisphenols with Endocrine Disrupting Properties for the Environment

"The proposal concludes that it is not possible, based on current scientific knowledge, to set sufficiently safe threshold values for endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment... the proposed restriction aims to minimise the emissions of bisphenols with endocrine disrupting properties to the environment."
Comments due Jan. 25.

European Commission Proposes Revisions to Packaging and Waste Legislation

Focusing on reducing waste. By the Food Packaging Forum.

Global Plastic Treaty Should Address Chemicals
Dey et al. Letter in Science. 2022 Nov 25;378(6622):841-842. Also see:
Countries Split on Plastics Treaty Focus as U.N. Talks Close, Reuters, and Integrating a Chemicals Perspective into the Global Plastic Treaty, Wang Z, Praetorius A. Environ Sci Technol Lett. 2022 Dec 13;9(12):1000-1006.

Watch: Pete Myers Addresses US Senate Committee on the Dangers of Plastic
Pete Myers of Environmental Health Sciences and Judith Enck of Beyond Plastics addressed a Dec. 15 US Senate committee hearing, Examining the Impact of Plastic Use and Identifying Solutions for Reducing Plastic Waste. Via Environmental Health News.

Joint Statement Regarding Harms of BPA Exposure in EU
By The Endocrine Society and The European Society of Endocrinology.

Endocrine Disruption Screening Market to Hit US$ 153.30 million by 2028
Digital Journal.

Why the U.S. Is Losing the Fight to Ban Toxic Chemicals
ProPublica. By Neil Bedi, Sharon Lerner, and Kathleen McGrory.

Merchants of Poison: How Monsanto Sold the World on a Toxic Pesticide
U.S. Right to Know. A new report by Stacy Malkan.

Cumulative Impacts: Why Environmental Protections Need to Take Them into Account
Union of Concerned Scientists. By Kristie Ellickson.

Chemical Grouping Approaches Can Aid Toxicology Research, Experts Say
National Toxicology Program. By Catherine Arnold.

Chemical Migration from Silicone Baking Materials
Including suspected endocrine disruptors. By the Food Packaging Forum

ChemScore 2022 Report Released
ChemSec ranks the world’s top 54 chemical producers on their work to reduce their chemical footprint.

PRHE's 2022 Year in Review Quiz
A fun quiz by the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE).

Stories of Global Chemical Pollution: Will We Ever Understand Environmental Persistence?
Scheringer M, Johansson JH, Salter ME, Sha B, Cousins IT. Environ Sci Technol. 2022 Dec 20;56(24):17498-17501.

Special Issue in Environment International: Advancing Exposure Knowledge and its Uptake into Policy: The European Exposure Science Strategy 2020–2030.

Book from Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology: Oxidative Stress and Toxicity in Reproductive Biology and Medicine: A Comprehensive Update on Male Infertility Volume II (also includes sections on female infertility).

Conducting Evaluations of Evidence that are Transparent, Timely and Can Lead to Health-Protective Actions

Chartres N, Sass JB, Gee D, Bălan SA, Birnbaum L, Cogliano VJ, Cooper C, Fedinick KP, Harrison RM, Kolossa-Gehring M, Mandrioli D, Mitchell MA, Norris SL, Portier CJ, Straif K, Vermeire T. Environ Health. 2022 Dec 5;21(1):123.

Approaches to Mixture Risk Assessment of PFASs in the European Population Based on Human Hazard and Biomonitoring Data
Bil W, Govarts E, Zeilmaker MJ, Woutersen M, Bessems J, Ma Y, Thomsen C, Haug LS, Lignell S, Gyllenhammar I, Palkovicova Murinova L, Fabelova L, Tratnik JS, Kosjek T, Gabriel C, Sarigiannis D, Pedraza-Diaz S, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Rambaud L, Riou M, Franken C, Colles A, Vogel N, Kolossa-Gehring M, Halldorsson TI, Uhl M, Schoeters G, Santonen T, Vinggaard AM. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Jan;247:114071.

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