Melamine in Milk

The journal Environmental Health Perspectives is publishing an article on the incident in September 2008 in which thousands of Chinese citizens fell ill from consuming milk that had melamine deliberately added to it (in order to boost its protein content). The authors discuss factors that contributed to the severity of the incident, including delays in reporting and the complexity of international trade of food products and ingredients. They emphasize the need for rapid international collaboration, data sharing, and use of common testing and reporting methods to manage future food-safety incidents. The link to the article is here.

Asbestos in Canada

Asbestos continues to be in the Canadian news. Earlier this year, federal Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff stated that Canada should stop exporting chrysotile asbestos (which is still mined in Quebec). In November, the Canadian Press indicated that the number of new cases of mesothelioma in Canada have increased 67 percent over a decade and a half. This rate is predicted to continue to increase as Canada feels the residual impact of its asbestos boom in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Asbestos is no longer used in Canada.

Toy Recall in Canada

At the end of November, Health Canada announced a recall of more than 26,000 Melissa & Doug wooden toys after testing found excessive barium in the surface paint. The toys were made in China. The Globe and Mail picked up the story on November 24, 2009 - poor timing for the company given the holiday season.

CMP: Batch 6 Assessments Released

The federal government recently released the final assessments for the 14 substances in Batch 6 of the Chemicals Management Plan. Of the 14 substances, only benzyl chloride (an industrial chemical found as an impurity in household and personal care products, disinfectants and industrial cleaners, as well as a chemical used in the production of benzyl alcohol and benzyl butyl phthalate) was found to meet the CEPA definition of toxic. Additional time is required to complete four assessments in Batch 6 - Disperse Orange 29, Solvent Red 23, Acid Red 111 and BPAOPB. The completion of Batch 6 marks the mid-point of the Chemicals Management Plan.

Bisphenol-A: Recent News

Lots more Bisphenol-A (BPA) media coverage and regulatory developments - starting with an article in this past Thursday's Montreal Gazette reporting on a University of Sherbrooke study that examined the impact of BPA on cytotrophoblasts (cells that attach the fetus to the uterus). The study results were published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. There are a couple of other recent developments relating to BPA. First, the World Health Organization's Food Safety Program will hold its October 2010 meeting of scientific experts to discuss BPA in food packaging in Ottawa. Second, the US Food and Drug Administration had planned to make an announcement on BPA and food safety by the end of November, but did not. The delay was covered by media across the US, including this article in the Los Angeles Times.

Updating Guidelines to Assess Toxicity

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) recently published a special series of workshop papers in the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. The Workshop brought together experts from academia, government, and industry to reach consensus on the significance of advancements in the understanding of the behavior and potential impact of POPs and PBTs in the environment, the current understanding of the state of the science, as well as recommendations for policy-makers to improve and coordinate national and international regulations on the issue. A link to the papers can be found here.

Canada: Environmental Commissioner Report

Last week, Canada's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development made his fall report to Parliament. The report contained four chapters, the second of which was devoted to an examination of Canada's toxic substances regulatory regime. The link to the chapter can be found here. The chapter was based on an audit of seven substances on the Canadian Toxic Substances List (lead, mercury, DEHP, PCBs, dioxins and furans, dichloromethane, and PBDEs) and involved an audit of how Environment Canada and Health Canada have managed the risks associated with these substances. Among the conclusions and recommendations from the Commissioner are: (a) the need for comprehensive risk management strategies for mercury and lead; and (b) concern about lack of cautionary labelling re: chronic (as opposed to acute) risks associated with consumer products.