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The World Health Organization is publishing a series of national case studies on the implementation of the WHO Chemicals Road map, which was adopted in World Health Assembly Decision 70(23).The case studies were developed by different Member States, including members of the Global Chemicals and Health Network. They illustrate the role the health sector plays in the sound management of chemicals, recognizing the need for multi-sectoral cooperation at a national level.The case studies concentrate on different actions of the road

Media ReleaseAs one of the first companies to completely end the production, and supply, of lead-based pigments in the mid-1980’s (Hoechst AG – now Clariant), Clariant supported the Global Alliance to eliminate lead paint and, through regulatory and legal measures, accelerate progress towards its global phase out.To work towards this goal, Clariant is a supporter of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), hosted by UN Environment Programme, a global policy framework which aims to protect human health and

We present a list of Chemicals of Concern (CoCs) in plastic toys. We started from available studies reporting chemical composition of toys to group plastic materials, as well as to gather mass fractions and function of chemicals in these materials. Chemical emissions from plastic toys and subsequent human exposures were then estimated using a series of models and a coupled near-field and far-field exposure assessment framework. Comparing human doses with reference doses shows high Hazard Quotients of up to 387

Environmental contamination with pharmaceuticals is widespread, inducing risks to both human health and the environment. This paper explores potential societal solutions to human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. To this end, we adopt transition research’s multi-level perspective framework, which allows us to understand the dynamics underlying pharmaceutical emissions and to recognize social and technical factors triggering change. The authors' qualitative analysis is based on data collected through literature research and interviews with actors from pharmaceutical industry, the health

New Fact Sheet: Gender mainstreaming in chemicals and waste policiesGender equality is a core human rights and development issue, as highlighted in several international and regional human rights instruments, including those that are part of multilateral environmental agreements. Law-binding and voluntary agreements on chemicals and waste are no exception and play an essential role in increasing the participation of women and men in the management of chemicals and waste, while contributing to gender equality.The fact sheet includes examples of texts

Las pinturas se han convertido en parte esencial del estilo de vida de la sociedad moderna, el color de ellas es apetecido por sus funciones estéticas, decorativas, de protección para productos y hasta en usos como códigos de seguridad, sin embargo, su producción y uso plantea aun muchos retos en los cuales se viene trabajando tanto a nivel mundial como local.Los países más industrializados prohibieron desde hace más de 40 años el uso de pinturas con plomo. Colombia aún carece

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

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