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WHO Regional Workshop on Chemical Safety
24 - 26th June 2013
The International Workshop to Strengthen Capacities for Sound Chemicals Management in South-East Asia Region
All Headlines
2476. February 6, 2015 | Arctic Journal
Clearing the air
Removing sulfur from shipping fuel could more than counteract the increase in emissions from increased Arctic shipping. 2477. February 4, 2015 | Web MD
Are products labeled 'BPA-free' safer?
Are goods labeled “BPA-free” healthier? Maybe not. Two new studies found that some chemicals replacing BPA in plastics, food packaging, and other products might also disrupt hormones, changing how the brain works and affecting fertility. 2478. February 3, 2015 | Environmental Health Perspectives
Marine plastic pollution and seafood safety.
In recent years plastic pollution in the ocean has become a significant environmental concern for governments, scientists, nongovernmental organizations, and members of the public worldwide. Now scientists are asking whether plastic entering the marine food chain can be a health risk to people. 2479. February 2, 2015 | UNEP News Centre
UN report calls for wastewater focus in post-2015 agenda, as 80% of worlds wastewater discharged untreated
Only 20 per cent of global wastewater is currently being treated, leaving low-income countries hardest hit by contaminated water supplies and disease, according to a UN report which encourages governments to see treated wastewater as a valuable resource, and a priority for the post-2015 development agenda. 2480. February 1, 2015 | Medical Daily
Common household pesticides may double risk of adhd in kids exposed to chemicals during pregnancy, breastfeeding
When it comes to what causes some mental health disorders, like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), scientists are still in the dark. However, they do know conditions like these are caused in part by genetics, and in other parts, by the environment. A new study shows how the environment can cause ADHD, by finding an association between its development and exposure to a common household pesticide. 2481. January 26, 2015 | Chemical & Engineering News
California limits use of chloropicrin
Farmers in California are facing tough new restrictions on the pesticide chloropicrin, which is a soil fumigant. The new regulations are intended to protect workers and people who live near fields that are treated with this powerful irritant to the eyes and respiratory tract. 2482. January 26, 2015 | Chemical & Engineering News
EPA proposes to revise regulation of oil spill dispersants.
EPA’s proposal would revise its existing regulation on the use of dispersants and other chemical and biological agents on oil spills in U.S. waters. It would require manufacturers to provide detailed toxicity and efficacy data. 2483. January 22, 2015 | Scientific American - Environmental Health News
BPA exposure may change stem cells, lower sperm production
BPA and other estrogenic compounds hamper development of the stem cells responsible for producing sperm in mice, which suggests such exposure could contribute to declining sperm counts in men, according to a new study. 2484. January 21, 2015 | Reuters
BPA plastics chemical poses no health risk, says European watchdog.
The chemical bisphenol A, used to stiffen some plastic food containers, poses no health risk to consumers of any age, including unborn children, at current levels of exposure, Europe's food safety watchdog said. 2485. January 21, 2015 | American Chemistry Council
European Food Safety Authority Scientific Experts strongly support safety of BPA
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) offers the following comments regarding the release of a final report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) titled “Scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in foodstuffs.” The report was prepared by EFSA’s expert panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids. 2486. January 20, 2015 | Eco-Business.com, Asia.
An opportunity for safer building materials.
Although ubiquitous in homes, offices, and schools, PVC is a toxic material that should be phased out from the building industry. 2487. January 16, 2015 | UNEP News Centre
Montreal Protocol averts threat of large increases in skin cancers
The threat of large increases in skin cancers has been avoided due to the success of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in controlling ozone depletion, according to the newly published "Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion and its Interactions with Climate Change: 2014 Assessment" report, produced by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the Montreal Protocol, following its latest quadrennial assessment. 2488. January 15, 2015 | EPA Newsroom
EPA urges home radon testing/protect your family from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon in your home
In recognizing January as National Radon Action Month, EPA encourages Americans around the country to test their homes for this naturally occurring radioactive gas and make 2015 a healthier, safer new year. 2489. January 15, 2015 | Chemical & Engineering News
Big apple bans foam containers
Regulation: Chemical industry fought for recycling of polystyrene instead. The market for alternatives to expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers got a significant boost last week when New York City finalized its ban on these materials, despite heavy lobbying by the chemical industry. 2490. January 14, 2015 | Science News
More toxic chemicals found in oil and gas wastewater.
Whether trickling from cracked shale deep underground or gushing through an old-school well, wastewater from oil and gas production may carry two additional dangerous chemicals besides those previously known. High levels of ammonium, iodide can harm aquatic life, contaminate tap water. 2491. January 12, 2015 | Los Angeles Times
BPA and 'BPA-free' alternative linked to fetal brain changes
Fetal exposure to Bisphenol A, as well as to the widely marketed alternative Bisphenol S, may cause "real and measurable" changes in the development of a brain region that plays a key role in fear, impulse-control, obesity and early puberty. 2492. January 12, 2015 | Chemical & Engineering News
New York City bans expanded polystyrene food containers, opens market to alternatives
The market for alternatives to expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers got a significant boost last week when New York City finalized its ban on these materials, despite heavy lobbying by the chemical industry. 2493. January 9, 2015 | EPA Pesticide News
New EPA guidance would reduce use of lab animals and increase relevant acute toxicity data on pesticides
In an effort to help expand the acceptance of alternative methods for acute toxicity testing, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs has released a new draft guidance document. The agency is accepting comments on the draft guidance for 60 days, until March 10, 2015. With the rapid advances in science and continual development of new technologies, the EPA recognizes there is an increasing potential for the use of alternative methods in regulatory risk assessments. 2494. January 5, 2015 | Environmental Health News
Feeling old? It might be from heavy metal.
High exposure to the toxic metal cadmium could prematurely age cells, potentially triggering a number of diseases as people age, according to a new study. 2495. January 5, 2015 | Chemical & Engineering News
Climate Change: EPA seeks massive methane reductions from oil and gas sector
The White House unveiled plans last week to reduce emissions of methane from the oil and gas industry by 40–45% through new EPA regulations. Methane emissions from this sector are projected to rise 25% by 2025, constraining White House international climate change policy objectives. 2496. January 5, 2015 | EPA
EPA Revised Chlorpyrifos Assessment Shows Risk to Workers
EPA is releasing an assessment for public comment on the potential for human health risk of the pesticide chlorpyrifos. This assessment shows some risks to workers who mix, load and apply chlorpyrifos pesticide products. When used in large amounts, chlorpyrifos has the potential to pose risks in limited geographic areas when drinking water from small watersheds. There were no additional risks from pesticide exposures in food or exposures to bystanders and workers from airborne chlorpyrifos. The latest USDA pesticide residue data show no concerns for chlorpyrifos in food, with the pesticide detected in less than 1% of samples. 2497. December 29, 2014 | Lancaster Online
PCB contamination causes fish consumption advisory for catfish caught from Susquehanna River in Lancaster County
The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a consumption warning for channel catfish longer than 20 inches. Samples of the fish showed unacceptable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, often called PCBs. DEP recommends no more than one meal per month of channel catfish that are 20 inches or longer. 2498. December 22, 2014 | Science World Report
New Study Links Air Pollution To Congenital Effects
Air pollution is a widely studied problem that many officials have examined. For those living in concentrated urban populations, this issue may affect them more than those who live out in the country side. Now, researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered new evidence linking high exposure of air pollution to an increased risk of congenital malformations. 2499. December 11, 2014 | WHO SEARO Media Centre
WHO targets implementation of new guidelines for indoor air quality
WHO convened a meeting of representatives of Member States to target the implementation of the new Guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion, at a Regional workshop on air quality and human health in New Delhi today. Over 60% of homes in WHO South-East Asia Region still use solid fuel for cooking. In India, this amounts to some 700 million people. 2500. December 11, 2014 | CNN International
Exposure to common household chemicals may cause IQ drop
A chemical that's in a lot of household products may be hurting children's IQ's. Women who had a high amount of the chemicals called di-n-butyl phthalate and di-isobutyl phthalate in their bodies during pregnancy gave birth to children who had markedly lower IQ scores, according to a new study running in the journal PLOS One.
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