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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

The SAICM Secretariat, in partnership with the University of Cape Town, established a community of practice on Chemicals in Products to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to addressing Chemicals in Products (CiP). This is a summary of the discussion on Mapping session of Chemicals in Products Globally, which took place on 17 September 2020.Presenters: Sandra Avérous Monnery (UNEP), Wenjia Fan (UNEP)The aim of this discussion was to learn about how

Used Vehicles and the Environment - A Global Overview of Used Light Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and RegulationMillions of used cars, vans and minibuses exported from Europe, the USA and Japan to low- and middle-income countries are hindering efforts to combat climate change. They are contributing to air pollution and are often involved in road accidents. Many of them are of poor quality and would fail road-worthiness tests in the exporting countries.A landmark, first-of-its-kind United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report

Plastics have become one of the most ubiquitous materials used globally, and global production has on average increased by about 9% per year since 1950.The plastic industry has become a major economic actor with revenue of about 1,722 billion Euros in 2015. The issue of plastics ending up in the oceans and harming marine lifeforms has been known since the 1970s. Research focusing on the impacts associated with exposure of organisms to marine micro and macroplastics has been ongoing for

Global trade in illegal pesticides has been steadily growing in recent years, posing serious threats to agriculture, the environment, human health, and the economy. Evidence of this trend can be found in the increasing number of seizures of counterfeit, fake, and unauthorised pesticides, as well as their growing share in the global pesticide market. This paper identifies the main drivers and enablers of this illicit trade, and explores the potential of digital technologies, such as blockchain, to support policies to

Reducing chemical pressure on human and environmental health is an integral part of the global sustainability agenda. Guidelines for deriving globally applicable, life cycle–based indicators are required to consistently quantify toxicity impacts from chemical emissions as well as from chemicals in consumer products. In response, we elaborate the methodological framework and present recommendations for advancing near-field/far-field exposure and toxicity characterization, and for implementing these recommendations into the scientific consensus model USEtox.The present work was supported by the “Global Best Practices

We live in a chemical world. Almost everything we touch contains chemicals.

World Environment Day took place on 5 June 2020 and the theme this year was biodiversity. SAICM celebrated by creating an infographic on how chemicals and waste can impact biodiversity and releasing an article on how we can do more to protect and help our planet's biodiversity flourish.

Chemicals in ProductsChemicals in Products from UN Environment on Vimeo.