The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Commission (EC) recently signed a formal agreement in which ECHA commits to providing recommendations for occupational exposure limits (OELs) for chemical substances on a steady basis. This obligates ECHA to evaluate four to five substances each year,…
For chemical safety professionals and researchers of all types, data gaps are an all-too-common problem. Here we explore the issue of data gaps, review the reasons why they occur, and discuss some of the ways that ToxPlanet can help you manage them quickly and effectively.
By definition, research is systematic investigation designed to obtain information on a given subject area with the aim of answering questions and reaching conclusions. While several different means of categorizing research exist, one key distinction is “primary” vs. “secondary”. Here we take a general look…
On January 7, 2019, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) released its first public policy agenda. This represents a landmark event in AIHA’s ongoing efforts to help prevent unnecessary work-related illnesses and injuries. The agenda covers fifteen key issues: Let’s take a closer look at…
On January 15, 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) expanded its Candidate List by adding six substances of very high concern (SVHCs). These are 2,2-bis(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylpentane, benzo[k]fluoranthene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and 1,7,7-trimethyl-3-(phenylmethylene)bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one. The addition brings the total number of substances on the list to 197. SVHCs…
It’s the beginning of a new year and with it comes a new set of industry events designed to allow the toxicology and chemical safety community to meet, exchange new information and ideas, present research findings, and advertise its products and services. Here is a…
EPA is announcing the release of the IRIS Program Outlook (December 2018) on the IRIS website. The document describes assessments that are currently in development and their projected public milestones. These assessments have been identified as high priority needs of the Agency for the fiscal…
The European Parliament and the Council have come to an agreement on the Commission's second proposal to broaden the list of recognized cancer-causing chemicals in the workplace. With this agreement, 8 additional cancer-causing chemicals will be covered by the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive, including diesel…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its food additive regulations in response to two food additive petitions, to no longer allow for the use of a total of 7 synthetic flavoring substances and flavor enhancers (adjuvants). The FDA determined that the data presented…
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is proposing regulatory changes concerning the averaging of concentrations of reproductive toxicants in food products and determining the average use of a consumer product for purposes of calculating exposures to listed reproductive toxicants. Public comments must be…
On September 28, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the general approaches that the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) may use to identify potential candidate chemicals for prioritization under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Read More
Despite increasing amounts of nanomaterials in products on the EU market, not enough is known about their hazards to adequately assess and control their risks. To bridge this knowledge gap, the REACH annexes that specify what information is required from companies placing chemicals on the market have been revised, legally obliging industry…