Environmental Product Declarations EPD Development

ASTM International has announced that it will be collaborating with industry to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) across the over 90 industry markets, including sealants. The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) will be partnering with ASTM International to raise awareness and educate industry on the value of Type III EPDs, and proactively engage industry in developing Product Category Rules (PCR).

In 2012, ASTM International announced that it was becoming a global Program Operator for PCR development and EPD verification. In January 2013, the members of ASTM Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants agreed to become active in the PCR process and to forward with scoping the PCR development for sealants. ASTM Committee C24 will meet in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 9-11, 2013.

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TSCA Risk Assessment Plan For Flame Retardant Chemicals.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will begin assessments on 23 commonly used chemicals, with a specific focus on flame retardant chemicals. These assessments are part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which identifies commonly used chemicals for risk assessment. EPA plans to begin by evaluating 20 flame retardant chemicals, conducting full risk assessments for four of the flame retardants, three of which are on the TSCA Work Plan, and one that was the subject of an Action Plan development under TSCA. In addition, EPA plans to conduct assessments of eight other flame retardants by grouping flame retardants with similar characteristics together with the chemicals targeted for full assessment.

EPA also plans to evaluate how eight of the 20 flame retardant chemicals transform and move in the environment. These chemicals were selected because they are likely to persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and/or have high exposure potential, but lack adequate data to conduct full risk assessments. During its review of data on flame retardant chemicals in commerce, EPA also identified approximately 50 flame retardant chemicals that are unlikely to pose a risk to human health, making them possible substitutes for more toxic flame retardant chemicals.

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TSCA Review For Common Household Product Chemicals

EPA has released for public comment draft risk assessments on five chemicals found in common household products. The draft risk assessments were developed as part of the agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan, which identified common chemicals for review to assess any impacts on human health and the environment. The five assessments address the following chemical uses:

• methylene chloride or dichloromethane (DCM) and n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) in paint stripper products;
• trichloroethylene (TCE) as a degreaser and a spray-on protective coating;
• antimony trioxide (ATO) as a synergist in halogenated flame retardants; and
• 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethylcyclopenta-[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) as a fragrance ingredient in commercial and consumer products.

The draft assessments focus either on human health or ecological hazards for specific uses which are subject to regulation under TSCA. The draft assessments were undertaken as part of EPA’s efforts to identify chemicals for review under the TSCA Work Plan, which EPA released in March 2012. At that time, EPA identified 83 chemicals as candidates for review and outlined the data sources and other information the agency would use in the reviews.


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Preliminary Rulemaking In California For Hydraulic Fracturing Operations

On December 18, the California Department of Conservation/Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources released a draft of regulations covering hydraulic fracturing. The Division says the draft regulations are a "discussion draft," meaning the version does not begin a formal rulemaking process, but rather, starts the discussion by key stakeholders, such as industry, environmental groups, regulators, and any interested members of the public. The discussions will help prepare for the more formal rulemaking process, which is expected to begin by February 2013. The Division will accept written comments until 45 days after the formal rulemaking begins.

The discussion draft regulations touch on topics such as:

• Pre-fracturing well-testing;
• Advance notification;
• Monitoring during and after drilling operations;
• Disclosure of fracturing fluid materials;
• Confidential business information; and
• Handling and Storage of hydraulic fracturing fluids;

The proposed regulations would require hydraulic fracturing operators to publicly disclose detailed information about their operations, including a complete list of chemicals, and their concentrations. If the material is a trade secret, then operators must inform the public of its chemical family or use a similar method to describe it.

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NIOSHA Recommended Medical Surveillance For Some Healthcare Workers

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is recommending addition protections for healthcare workers who prepare, administer, or transport hazardous drugs or dispose of hazardous drug waste  To minimize or prevent exposure to chemical hazards, NIOSH is recommending that employers establish a medical surveillance program as part of a comprehensive prevention program that utilizes engineering controls, good work practices, personal protective equipment (PPE), and training to protect workers.

Medical surveillance involves collecting and interpreting data to detect changes in the health status of working populations potentially exposed to hazardous substances.The elements of a medical surveillance program are used to establish an initial baseline of workers' health and then monitor future health as it relates to their potential exposure to hazardous agents. This information can be used to identify and correct prevention failures leading to disease. In particular, an effective surveillance program begins with a hazard identification program that is integrated with surveillance for disease or illness.

NIOSH has indicated that for workers exposed to hazardous drugs, the medical surveillance program should include:

• Reproductive and general health questionnaires completed at the time of hire and periodically thereafter.
• History of drug handling as an estimate of prior and current exposure, including dates of duty assignment related to hazardous drugs and similar types of information.
• A plan to provide initial baseline clinical evaluation, including appropriately targeted medical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing for workers identified as being potentially exposed to hazardous drugs that anticipates their potential toxicities.
• A follow-up plan as needed for workers who have shown health changes suggesting toxicity or who have experienced an acute exposure (substantial skin contact or inhalation exposure, cleaning a large spill [a broken IV bag, leaking IV line], etc.).

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Minnesota Based Grocery Chain Awarded For Improved Refrigerant Handling

Minnesota-based Supervalu, which operates Albertsons and Lucky stores, earned this year’s Distinguished Partner Award. The Distinguished Partner Award is given to the supermarket partner company that goes above and beyond to advance the mission of the GreenChill Partnership. Albertsons Carpinteria, Calif., store was recognized with GreenChill’s prestigious Best of the Best Award, given to the best new GreenChill-certified store each year. The Carpenteria store recently achieved Platinum-Level store certification, the highest certification level that can be obtained for advanced refrigeration technology that prevents harmful refrigerant emissions. It is the first store in the nation to use a new generation of low global warming refrigerants.

GreenChill is an EPA partnership with supermarkets to transition to low-impact refrigerants; reduce the amount of refrigerant used, and eliminate refrigerant leaks. GreenChill has 54 partners with almost 8,000 stores, representing over 20% of the supermarket industry.

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Flame Retardant Alternatives Report

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft report on alternatives to the toxic flame retardant chemical known as decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE). Developed with public participation under the Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) program, the comprehensive assessment profiles the environmental and human health hazards of 30 alternatives to decaBDE. DecaBDE is a common flame retardant used in electronics, vehicles, and building materials. Because it can cause adverse developmental effects, persist in the environment, and bioaccumulate in people and animals, it will be phased out of production by December 2013.

EPA's new report was intended to help manufacturers identify alternatives to decaBDE. EPA will work directly with manufacturers to investigate chemical and non-chemical alternatives to flame retardants. EPA said the draft report is the latest in a series of actions it is taking to address flame retardants made with bromine. Other actions include:

• June 1, 2012: EPA released a TSCA work plan of 18 chemicals which the agency intends to review and use to develop risk assessments in 2013 and 2014, including three flame retardant chemicals. EPA is currently developing a strategy, scheduled for completion by the end of this year that will address these three and a broader set of flame retardant chemicals. This effort will aid the agency in focusing risk assessments on those flame retardant chemicals that pose the greatest potential concerns. EPA anticipates initiating the risk assessments on this category of chemicals in 2013.
• April 2, 2012: EPA proposed actions under TSCA that will require manufacturers, importers, and processors of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants to submit information to the agency for review before initiating any new uses of PBDEs after Dec 31, 2013. Those who continue to manufacture, import, or process after December 31, 2013, would be subject to a testing requirement under TSCA.
• 2009: EPA developed action plans on PBDEs (including pentaBDE, octaBDE, and decaBDE) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) that summarized available hazard, exposure, and use information; outlined potential risks; and identified the specific steps the agency is pursuing under the TSCA. The alternatives analysis for decaBDE was included in the action plan.

According to EPA, alternatives to decaBDE characterized in the report are already on the market and will be used increasingly as decaBDE is phased out, but they also have differing hazard characteristics and are associated with trade-offs. For example, some alternatives that appear to have a relatively positive human health profile may be more persistent in the environment. Some alternatives appear to be less toxic than decaBDE. Preliminary data suggests that these flame retardants may have a lower potential for bioaccumulation in people and the environment. However, the Agency points out that these health and environmental profiles are largely based on computer-model generated estimates, and that the models are limited in their ability to predict concern. Laboratory testing and ongoing environmental monitoring is necessary to fully understand the potential for concern associated with these chemicals.

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Draft Nanomaterial Case Study Released For Comment

On July 2 , 2012, EPA announced a 60-day public comment period for EPA's case study on multiwalled carbon nanotubes in flame-retardant coatings used in upholstery textiles. The draft document on the study, issued by EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), does not draw conclusions regarding potential risks or hazards of multiwalled carbon nanotubes; rather, it aims to identify what is known and unknown about the nanotubes to support future research. EPA says the draft document, which is being released for public comment and peer review, is not final. The Agency will consider comments it receives when finalizing the case study. In addition, EPA will hold an information exchange meeting to discuss the draft document and to provide information on the nanomaterial case study.

According to EPA, the draft document follows previous efforts on engineered nanoscale materials, or nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are materials that measure between 1 and 100 nanometers and often possess unusual, if not unique, properties that arise from their small size. Like all materials, EPA says, nanomaterials offer the potential for both benefits and risks.

EPA's 2007 Nanotechnology White Paper included the following recommendations regarding the risk assessment of nanomaterials:

1.  Develop case studies based on publicly available information on one or several intentionally produced nanomaterials and identify information gaps to help map areas of research that would support the sick assessment process; and
2. Hold a series of workshops involving a substantial number of experts from several disciplines to assist in these processes.

To meet these recommendations, NCEA has also prepared the Nanomaterial case studies “Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide in Water Treatment and in Topical Sunscreen” [Final] in 2010, and “Nanoscale Silver in Disinfectant Spray” [External Review Draft] in 2012.

The comment period for the draft document begins July 2, 2012, and ends August 31, 2012. The public information exchange meeting will be held on October 29, 2012 at the EPA facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

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Four New Chemicals Added To California Prop 65 List

Effective June 22, 2012, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) within the California Environmental Protection Agency is adding benzophenone (CAS No. 119-61-9), coconut oil diethanolamine condensate (cocamide diethanolamine) (CAS No. 68603-42-9), diethanolamine (CAS No. 111-42-2), and 2-methylimidazole (CAS No. 693-98-1) to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).

The updated list of Prop 65 chemicals now includes these compounds. The basis for the listing of benzophenone, coconut oil diethanolamine condensate (cocamide diethanolamine), diethanolamine, and 2-methylimidazole was described in a public notice published in the January 20, 2012, in the California Regulatory Notice Register. The publication of the notice initiated a public comment period that closed on April 6, 2012.

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Proposed Restriction On Chromium In Leather Products

Denmark has submitted a report proposing a restriction on the placing on the market of articles of leather coming into direct and prolonged or repetitive contact with the skin if the leather contains chromium VI (chromium +6) in concentrations above a certain limit. Chromium VI is not intentionally used in the preparation of leather from skins and hides and in the manufacturing of articles of leather, but may be formed during the processing. The presence of chromium VI in tanned leather and articles of tanned leather can be avoided, under properly controlled conditions.

According to the report, chromium VI is known amongst other effects to cause severe allergic contact dermatitis in humans and to be able to elicit dermatitis at very low concentrations. The dossier concludes that extractable chromium VI from shoes and other articles of leather represents a risk for the development of contact allergy to chromium for the consumers and workers.

Surveys of chromium VI in articles of leather in some of the Members States have demonstrated that more than 30% of the tested articles of leather contained chromium VI in concentrations above 3 mg/kg (which is the proposed concentration limit). ECHA has begun the public consultation on the restriction report, which will end on September 16, 2012. However, ECHA encourages interested parties to give their comments by June 1, 2012.

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ECHA Proposes Restrictions On 1,4-dichlorobenzene Products

At the request of the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has submitted a report proposing a restriction on the placing on the market and use of 1,4-dichlorobenzene-based air fresheners and toilet blocks. These products are mainly used to deodorize public and domestic toilets.

1,4-dichlorobenzene has been classified as a category 2 carcinogen and affects the kidneys and respiratory tract. The dossier concludes that where 1,4-dichlorobenzene products are used, domestic users of toilet blocks and air fresheners as well as toilet attendants and cleaners are exposed above safe levels. This means that the risks from this substance in these two groups cannot be adequately controlled. The Annex XV report contains the background and justifications for the proposed restriction. It includes the description of identified risks, information on alternatives, the effectiveness of the restriction in reducing the risks and its costs.

Interested parties can comment on both the restriction proposal and the associated report using the webform on ECHA's website. Comments will be reviewed and taken into account by the ECHA Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC). The final opinions of the two committees on the proposed restriction are scheduled to be available by June 2013. Based on these opinions, the European Commission will take a decision on whether to introduce these restrictions into the REACH Regulation.


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EPA Selects Priority Chemicals For Assessment Under TSCA in 2013-2014

As part of its existing chemicals management program, EPA has listed 83 chemicals as a part of its Work Plan under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Seven of those chemicals were chosen for further risk assessment in 2012, and EPA has identified 18 more of the chemicals for assessment in 2013 and 2014. According to EPA, the chemicals were chosen for a variety of reasons, including specific hazards such as potential carcinogenicity; potential to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic; chemicals found in biomonitoring; or chemicals reported in consumer products.

The chemicals include five chlorinated hydrocarbons, three flame retardants, and four fragrance chemicals. In order to conduct risk assessments on the 18 chemicals, EPA will follow the procedures listed in the TSCA Work Plan Chemicals Methods Document and will use information available from a variety of sources. The Agency will still accept additional relevant information on the chemicals, such as unpublished studies not already available through the existing literature and information on uses and potential exposures. All information should be submitted to EPA on or before August 31.

The 2013 - 2014 Work Plan Chemicals are as follows:

• 1-Bromopropane
• Five chlorinated hydrocarbons: 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,2-Dichloropropane trans-1-2-Dichloroethylene,1,1,2-Trichloroethane
• 4-tert-Octylphenol
• Three flame retardants: Bis(2-Ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), 2-Ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB), Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP)
• Four fragrance chemicals: Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-4-sec-Butyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,5,5-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,6,7,8,8a-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
• 4-sec-Butyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol
• 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol
• P,p'-Oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide)
• Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4)

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Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Health Assessment For Ammonia

U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for ammonia. The draft assessment will be available for public comment for 60 days and will be sent for independent expert peer review. When the assessment is final it will be posted to the IRIS database. IRIS is a publicly available online database that provides high quality science-based human health assessments used to inform the agency’s decisions on protecting public health and the environment.

Ammonia is used in agricultural fertilizers, the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and explosives, water purification, household cleaners, as a refrigerant, and in many industries. Scientific studies show that ammonia can affect the respiratory system. The draft assessment includes an estimate of the amount of ammonia a person can inhale daily throughout a lifetime that is not likely to cause harmful health effects, which is less stringent than the current value for ammonia on IRIS.

The draft IRIS assessment for ammonia represents a milestone for EPA in implementing the April 2011 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommendations for improving IRIS assessments. The draft assessment uses a new streamlined document structure; includes a template for describing the literature search approach; identifies the strengths and weaknesses of analyzed studies; and describes how EPA applied their guidance, methods, and criteria in developing the assessment.

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Integrated Risk information System Acrylonitrile Assessment

EPA has developed a new schedule for completing the Integrated Risk information System (IRIS) acrylonitrile assessment. The new schedule is:

 

• External Peer Review and Public Availability - 2013/2nd Quarter
• Final Agency Review/ Interagency Science Discussion and Posting Final Assessment - 2014/1st Quarter

 

EPA released its draft IRIS assessment for acrylonitrile for public comment and external peer review in the June 30, 2011, Federal Register. The Agency has decided to make further revisions to the chemical assessment to more fully address scientific issues in the assessment. The revised draft acrylonitrile assessment will be released for public comment and independent expert peer review along with the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee that is being formed under the auspices of the Science Advisory Board.

 

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Final Report on Alternatives to Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the final report on alternatives to nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program. NPEs are widely used surfactants with a range of industrial applications and are commonly found in consumer products, such as laundry detergents. When released into the environment, they can be persistent and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The report identifies eight safer alternatives to NPEs that meet EPA’s criteria for safer surfactants.

The report provides information on the availability of safer alternatives, DfE’s hazard evaluation method for surfactants, and the progress being made in adopting safer surfactants. Using rigorous hazard-based criteria, EPA evaluated hundreds of chemicals for their biodegradability and their potential effects to aquatic organisms.

DfE’s Alternatives Assessment Program helps industries choose safer chemicals and offers a basis for informed decision-making by providing a detailed comparison of the potential human health and environmental effects of chemical alternatives. To date, the DfE program has labeled more than 2,700 safer products, including detergents that contain only safer surfactants and other chemicals. All companies participating in the DfE Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative have eliminated NPEs from their product lines to meet DfE criteria.

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NAS Review of Integrated Risk Information System

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will conduct a comprehensive review of the agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program’s assessment development process. In April 2011, NAS recommended several ways to improve the development of IRIS assessments. EPA is implementing these recommendations using a phased approach. Future draft IRIS assessments released for public comment and peer review will reflect implementing NAS recommendations.

NAS will conduct a review of the IRIS assessment development process and the changes that are currently being made or planned by EPA in response to NAS’ April 2011 recommendations. NAS will also review current methods for weight of evidence analyses and recommend approaches for weighing scientific evidence for chemical hazard identification.

EPA’s IRIS program provides health profiles of chemicals to which the public may be exposed from releases to air, water, and land and through the use and disposal of chemicals. IRIS assessments inform EPA rulemakings, and the release of final IRIS assessments is consistent with EPA efforts to improve health and protect the environment.

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Non-Cancer Science Assessment For Dioxins Finalized

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its non-cancer science assessment for dioxins, which was last reviewed in the 1980s. Dioxins are toxic chemicals that naturally exist in the environment and can be released into the environment through forest fires, backyard burning of trash, certain industrial activities, and residue from past commercial burning of waste. The assessment findings show that generally, over a person’s lifetime, current exposure to dioxins does not pose a significant health risk.

EPA has identified many known sources of dioxins. Working with other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, EPA has taken steps to address dioxin. This includes research on dioxin exposure and effects; assessing dioxin human health risks; measuring dioxin levels in the environment; and reducing exposure to dioxin.

The non-cancer health assessment for dioxin could be considered in a range of agency activities, from establishing cleanup levels at Superfund sites, to reviewing the dioxin drinking water standard as part of EPA’s regularly scheduled review process, to evaluating whether additional Clean Air Act limits on dioxin emissions are warranted.

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Final Health Assessment For Tetrachloroethylene (Perc) Released

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the final health assessment for tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene, or perc) to EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. The assessment replaces the 1988 IRIS assessment for perc and for the first time includes a hazard characterization for cancer effects. Perc is a chemical solvent widely used in the dry cleaning industry. It is also used in the cleaning of metal machinery and to manufacture some consumer products and other chemicals. The final assessment characterizes perc as a “likely human carcinogen.” The assessment provides estimates for both cancer and non-cancer effects associated with exposure to perc over a lifetime.

EPA did not believe that wearing clothes dry cleaned with perc will result in exposures which pose a risk of concern. EPA has already taken several actions to reduce exposure to perc. EPA has clean air standards for dry cleaners that use perc, including requirements that will phase-out the use of perc by dry cleaners in residential buildings by December 21, 2020. EPA also set limits for perc allowed in drinking water and levels for cleaning up perc at Superfund sites throughout the country, which will be updated in light of the final IRIS assessment.

In the future, the toxicity values reported in the perc IRIS assessment will be considered in:

• Establishing cleanup levels at Superfund sites where perc is a contaminant,
• Revising EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for perc in drinking water, and
• Evaluating whether to propose additional limits on air emissions of perc.

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Alternative Refrigerants Approved Under SNAP Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added three hydrocarbons as acceptable alternatives in household and small commercial refrigerators and freezers through EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The three hydrocarbon refrigerants approved as acceptable substitutes, with use conditions, are propane, isobutane, and a chemical known as R-441A. These newly-approved refrigerants can be used to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-12 and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-22 in household refrigerators, freezers, combination refrigerator-freezers, and commercial stand-alone units.

Under the Clean Air Act, the SNAP program evaluates substitute chemicals and technologies for ozone-depleting substances (ODS). SNAP is globally recognized as the only program designed specifically to evaluate substitutes for ODS and to focus on the industrial sectors that use them.

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Previously Confidential TSCA Studies Released To Public

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is making available to the public hundreds of studies on chemicals that had been treated as confidential business information (CBI) as part of the agency plan to make public the chemicals that are not entitled to CBI status. Since 2009, 577 formerly confidential chemical identities are no longer confidential and more than 1,000 health and safety studies are now accessible to the public that were previously unavailable or only available in limited circumstances.

In 2010 EPA issued new guidance outlining the agency’s plans to deny confidentiality claims for chemical identities in health and safety studies under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that are determined to not be entitled to CBI status. EPA has been reviewing CBI claims in new and existing TSCA filings containing health and safety studies.

Consistent with the 2010 guidance, the agency will request that the submitter voluntarily relinquish the CBI claims and make the newly available studies available to the public. EPA also asked the chemical industry to voluntarily make available information that was previously classified as CBI. According to EPA, to date more than 35 companies have agreed to review previously submitted filings containing health and safety studies and determine if any CBI claims may no longer be necessary.

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