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UNEP's newsletter from March 2020 on scientific articles, research and knowledge on selected topics.TopicTitleChemicals and Waste / PollutionAdvancing environmental exposure assessment science to benefit society / A. Caplin et al. 2019. Nature.Assessment of air pollution caused by illegal e-waste burning to evaluate the human health risk / C. Gangwar et al. Environment International 125, Pages 191-199, 2019. ScienceDirect.A Comparison of hourly to annual air pollutant emissions: Implications for estimating acute exposure and public health risk / M. Stewart et al

AbstractThe world faces an increasing need to phase out harmful chemicals and design sustainable alternatives across various consumer products and industrial applications. Alternatives assessment is an emerging field focusing on identifying viable solutions to substitute harmful chemicals. However, current methods fail to consider trade-offs from human and ecosystem exposures, and from impacts associated with chemical supply chains and product life cycles. To close this gap, we propose a life cycle based alternatives assessment (LCAA) framework for consistently integrating quantitative exposure

Lead is a toxic metal whose widespread use has caused extensive environmental contamination and health problems in many parts of the world. Human exposure to lead in 2017 was estimated to account for 1.06 million deaths and the loss of 24.4 million disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) from long-term health effects, with the highest burden falling on low- and middle-income countries.This document provides a brief overview of analytical methods available for measuring lead in paint. It is primarily aimed at informing public health

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) substantially cost society as a result of increases in disease and disability but—unlike other toxicant classes such as carcinogens—have yet to be codified into regulations as a hazard category.This Series paper examines economic, regulatory, and policy approaches to limit human EDC exposures and describes potential improvements. In the EU, general principles for EDCs call for minimisation of human exposure, identification as substances of very high concern, and ban on use in pesticides. In the USA, screening and