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Zimmermann L, Scheringer M, Geueke B, Boucher JM, Parkinson LV, Groh KJ, Muncke J. Implementing the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: The case of food contact chemicals of concern. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 437:129167. [PMID: 35897167 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) aims at removing the most harmful chemicals from consumer products, including from food contact materials (FCMs). If implemented as intended, the CSS has the potential to significantly improve the protection of public health by banning the use of chemicals of concern that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction (CMRs), or persistent and bioaccumulative, or endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in FCMs. However, until now an overview of such food contact chemicals of concern (FCCoCs) has not been available, because the CSS is fairly recent. Therefore, we here systematically analyze the food contact chemicals listed for intentional use in FCMs and identify known FCCoCs. We present a list of 388 FCCoCs that should be phased-out from use. Of these, 352 are CMRs, four are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and 127 have empirical evidence for presence in FCMs. Importantly, 30 FCCoCs with evidence for presence are monomers of which 22 have evidence for migration into foodstuff showing that monomers in FCMs indeed become relevant for human exposure. Our findings justify moving away from a risk- towards a hazard-based approach to regulation of chemicals in FCMs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Geueke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, 8045 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, 8045 Zürich, Switzerland
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Klein K, Heß S, Schulte-Oehlmann U, Oehlmann J. Locomotor behavior of Neocaridina palmata: a study with leachates from UV-weathered microplastics. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12442. [PMID: 34820186 PMCID: PMC8588861 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Weathering of plastics leads to the formation of increasingly smaller particles with the release of chemical compounds. The latter occurs with currently unknown environmental impacts. Leachate-induced effects of weathered microplastics (MPs) are therefore of increasing concern. To investigate the toxicity of the chemical mixtures from such plastics, we exposed the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina palmata to enriched leachates from unweathered and artificially weathered (UV-A/B light) MPs (≤1 mm) from recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE-R) pellets and from a biodegradable, not fully bio-based starch blend (SB) foil. We analyzed the individual locomotor activity (moved distance and frozen events) on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 of exposure to five leachate concentrations equivalent to 0.40–15.6 g MPs L−1, representing the upper scale of MPs that have been found in the environment. The median moved distance did not change as a function of concentration, except for the unweathered SB treatment on day 14 that indicated hyperactivity with increasing concentrations. Significant impacts were solely detected for few concentrations and exposure days. Generally, no consistent trend was observed across the experiments. We further assessed the baseline toxicity of the samples in the Microtox assay and detected high bioluminescence inhibitions of the bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. This study demonstrates that neither the recycled nor the biodegradable material are without impacts on test parameters and therefore cannot be seen as safe alternative for conventional plastics regarding the toxicity. However, the observed in vitro toxicity did not result in substantial effects on the behavior of shrimps. Overall, we assume that the two endpoints examined in the atyid shrimp N. palmata were not sensitive to chemicals leaching from plastics or that effects on the in vivo level affect other toxic endpoints which were not considered in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Klein
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Heß
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schulte-Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jörg Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Muncke J, Andersson AM, Backhaus T, Boucher JM, Carney Almroth B, Castillo Castillo A, Chevrier J, Demeneix BA, Emmanuel JA, Fini JB, Gee D, Geueke B, Groh K, Heindel JJ, Houlihan J, Kassotis CD, Kwiatkowski CF, Lefferts LY, Maffini MV, Martin OV, Myers JP, Nadal A, Nerin C, Pelch KE, Fernández SR, Sargis RM, Soto AM, Trasande L, Vandenberg LN, Wagner M, Wu C, Zoeller RT, Scheringer M. Impacts of food contact chemicals on human health: a consensus statement. Environ Health 2020; 19:25. [PMID: 32122363 PMCID: PMC7053054 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-020-0572-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Food packaging is of high societal value because it conserves and protects food, makes food transportable and conveys information to consumers. It is also relevant for marketing, which is of economic significance. Other types of food contact articles, such as storage containers, processing equipment and filling lines, are also important for food production and food supply. Food contact articles are made up of one or multiple different food contact materials and consist of food contact chemicals. However, food contact chemicals transfer from all types of food contact materials and articles into food and, consequently, are taken up by humans. Here we highlight topics of concern based on scientific findings showing that food contact materials and articles are a relevant exposure pathway for known hazardous substances as well as for a plethora of toxicologically uncharacterized chemicals, both intentionally and non-intentionally added. We describe areas of certainty, like the fact that chemicals migrate from food contact articles into food, and uncertainty, for example unidentified chemicals migrating into food. Current safety assessment of food contact chemicals is ineffective at protecting human health. In addition, society is striving for waste reduction with a focus on food packaging. As a result, solutions are being developed toward reuse, recycling or alternative (non-plastic) materials. However, the critical aspect of chemical safety is often ignored. Developing solutions for improving the safety of food contact chemicals and for tackling the circular economy must include current scientific knowledge. This cannot be done in isolation but must include all relevant experts and stakeholders. Therefore, we provide an overview of areas of concern and related activities that will improve the safety of food contact articles and support a circular economy. Our aim is to initiate a broader discussion involving scientists with relevant expertise but not currently working on food contact materials, and decision makers and influencers addressing single-use food packaging due to environmental concerns. Ultimately, we aim to support science-based decision making in the interest of improving public health. Notably, reducing exposure to hazardous food contact chemicals contributes to the prevention of associated chronic diseases in the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Justin M Boucher
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bethanie Carney Almroth
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Jonathan Chevrier
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Barbara A Demeneix
- Department Adaptation du Vivant, Unité mixte de recherche 7221, CNRS (French National Research Center) and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jorge A Emmanuel
- Institute of Environmental & Marine Sciences, Silliman University, Dumaguete, Philippines
| | - Jean-Baptiste Fini
- Department Adaptation du Vivant, Unité mixte de recherche 7221, CNRS (French National Research Center) and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - David Gee
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Birgit Geueke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ksenia Groh
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jerrold J Heindel
- Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies, Commonweal, Bolinas, CA, USA
| | - Jane Houlihan
- Healthy Babies Bright Futures, Charlottesville, V.A., USA
| | | | | | - Lisa Y Lefferts
- Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Olwenn V Martin
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - John Peterson Myers
- Environmental Health Sciences, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie, Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Angel Nadal
- IDiBE and CIBERDEM, Universitas Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Robert M Sargis
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ana M Soto
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Martin Wagner
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Changqing Wu
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - R Thomas Zoeller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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