Tag: chemicals

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Albany looks to crack down on ‘forever chemicals’ contamination

Albany looks to crack down on ‘forever chemicals’ contamination

Superior early morning and welcome to Monday’s New York Health and fitness Care newsletter, the place we maintain you posted on what is coming up this 7 days in overall health care news, and provide a look back at the critical information from previous week.

New York lawmakers and climate advocates currently will kick off New York City Weather Week by contacting for new statewide action to greater observe and exam for for every- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, identified as PFAS and “for good substances,” which have been linked to a myriad of health circumstances, like hormonal variations, developmental delays in little ones and amplified hazard of most cancers.

Sen. Rachel May possibly (D-Syracuse) and Assemblymember Carrie Woerner (D-Saratoga County) will unveil their “PFAS Surface H2o Discharge Disclosure Act,” at a late-early morning news convention featuring officials from Earthjustice and Seneca Lake Guardian and other lawmakers. The legislation (NY S9525)/(NY A10689), which was formally introduced previous thirty day period, would develop an annual PFAS floor water discharge disclosure prerequisite for all publicly owned treatment method performs and new point out pollutant discharge elimination system allow programs.

Could advised POLITICO that the laws stems from her latest perform as element of an Environmental Protection Agency community federal government advisory council on federal PFAS rulemaking.

“What we realized in New York point out, as properly as [in] a lot of elements of the country, is no one has any details about wherever these chemicals are, where by they are coming from, how significant a problem it is in area regions,”she stated in an interview. “This invoice is built to make certain that regional governments have details that they can use when they are striving to determine out if there’s a trouble, And, if so, how to address it.”

The senator included that this invoice seeks to “catch up” on addressing an issue that has been out there for a whilst — most notably in Hoosick Falls, in which drinking water contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOAs) sparked a statewide h2o protection crisis.

Jill Witkowski Heaps, a senior lawyer at Earthjustice’s Northeast office, reported substantially of the reaction to PFAS has concentrated on cleaning ingesting drinking water at the utility-stage, not addressing the resource of people contaminants. This bill, she claimed, should respond to critical questions about the scope of PFAS contamination in water that have stalled federal action on the problem.

“The incredibly initially step to really halting this cycle of PFAS contamination is requiring absolutely everyone who is using it or could possibly be utilizing it, or could have it in its discharge, to disclose that so we now know what the sources are, where this stuff is coming from and how it is receiving in our ingesting water,” she reported.

While the evaluate is concentrated on information collection — not mandating any particular response — that is “the reasonable subsequent action,” Might said.

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Crisis Around — POLITICO’s Shannon Young: New York’s Covid-19 crisis declaration finished previous week, almost 10 months soon after Gov. Kathy Hochul took the executive motion in an work to control viral transmission as coronavirus circumstances surged at the end of 2021. Hochul instructed reporters right after a New York Town party that she would not extend the executive order when it expired.

The governor experienced routinely renewed the declaration, at occasions with slight modifications, considering the fact that initially issuing it on Nov. 26. The announcement arrived just days right after Hochul lifted the state’s mask mandate for public transit and other congregant settings in an work to “restore some normalcy.” (Masks have to even now be worn in well being care configurations and grownup treatment services, which include nursing households.)

OVERDOSE Avoidance — POLITICO’s Julian Shen-Berro: The metropolis may perhaps soon inventory bars and other nightlife venues with daily life-preserving opioid overdose medication. A invoice handed unanimously by the City Council final week requires the Division of Wellbeing and Mental Cleanliness source free opioid “antagonist kits” — and instruction on how to use them — to area nightlife institutions. Those people kits will contain naloxone and other medicines permitted by New York state and the federal Food items and Drug Administration to negate or neutralize the consequences of an opioid overdose.

The treatment can be sent by means of injection or nasal spray. “It is a public overall health disaster. We are looking at New Yorkers die on a weekly foundation,” monthly bill sponsor Chi Ossé stated of opioids as he solid his vote.

IN OTHER News: 

— The NYU Faculty of World-wide Public Wellness is signing up for the AI4HealthyCities Well being Fairness Network, a worldwide initiative to boost coronary heart overall health fairness in New York Metropolis. The network, created by the Novartis Foundation in partnership with Microsoft AI for Health, appears to be to use data science procedures to offer health and fitness officials with insights and resources to recognize the root triggers of coronary heart overall health inequities, as well as how outcomes can be enhanced.

… The Novartis Basis, Microsoft AI for Wellbeing and NYU GPH will launch AI4HealthyCities at a 5 p.m. function right now, which will be streamed on line.

— Point out Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Friday announced two Section of Health and fitness audits that discovered tens of millions in incorrect payments in the Medicaid software.

— The Cannabis Command Board will satisfy Tuesday in New York Metropolis. The in-individual meeting comes just a single 7 days in advance of the application deadline for New Yorkers wanting to open the first marijuana dispensaries in the state.

WE Adore TO Hear FROM YOU: This roundup is for you! Mail news strategies, wellbeing recommendations, tips, criticisms and corrections to [email protected].

NOW WE KNOW — An Adderall shortage and social media stigma is earning it really hard for some individuals with ADHD to entry the drug, BuzzFeed News stories.

TODAY’S Suggestion — Want to adjust someone’s mind? New research implies that a group of persons owning a strong conversation can support realize consensus — as extended as that team doesn’t contain any “blowhards,” in accordance to The New York Occasions.

MAKE Sure TO Abide by Shannon @ShannonYoung413 on Twitter. And for all New Jersey well being news, examine out Daniel Han, @danieljhan_.

Analyze THIS — Via VICE: “The American armed forces is struggling with a recruiting disaster and the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Courtroom conclusion that overturned federal protection for abortion will make it worse, according to a new analyze from the RAND Company.”

The New York Periods examines “how Russian trolls aided keep the Women’s March out of lock action.”

The Moments Union reports that California paid out less than New York for Covid-19 fast, at-home checks from a “company related with Hochul marketing campaign donors.”

“Intellia Therapeutics Inc. noted encouraging early-stage examine benefits for its Crispr gene-modifying treatment options,” The Wall Street Journal stories.

Kaiser Overall health News breaks down “what back-to-schoolers want to know” about the return of poliovirus in the U.S.

The meth addiction disaster “is worse than at any time,” STAT reports. But new treatment plans are on the horizon.

“In South The us, two decades of shuttered faculties for kids without the need of computers or WiFi finished hopes and dreams for millions,” Victoria Sousa, a journalist presently attending University of Pennsylvania, writes for POLITICO Journal.

POLITICO’s Megan R. Wilson reviews that the increase of profitable Medicare Edge strategies has offered way to a wave of misleading or misleading gross sales practices applied to drive them and a massive spike in problems from seniors who truly feel duped. The issue, which has extended been on the radar of state and federal regulators, is now drawing the consideration of best Democrats on Capitol Hill.

About half of Manhattan office environment workers are back again at their desks on a standard weekday — but far less are returning to places of work five times a week, in accordance to a new study from the Partnership for New York Metropolis, POLITICO’s Janaki Chadha studies.

POLITICO’s Ben Leonard reports that Medicare clients took advantage of pandemic-period policies allowing them to see medical practitioners in other states by way of cellphone or video clip get in touch with, a study revealed Friday in JAMA Wellbeing Forum found.

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Chemicals found in plastic may lead to weight gain

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New research explores the effect of chemicals in everyday plastic items on mouse fat cells. Group4 Studio/Getty Images
  • Changes in diet and exercise do not fully explain the steep rise in overweight and obesity over recent decades.
  • One theory claims that chemicals in everyday plastic products promote weight gain by changing human metabolism.
  • A new study found that a range of plastic household items contain thousands of chemicals, many of them unknown.
  • One-third of the items contained chemicals that, after extraction, caused the growth and proliferation of mouse fat cells in the lab.

Chemicals in plastic household items such as drinks bottles, yogurt pots, and freezer bags may be contributing to the global epidemic of obesity, a new study suggests.

The chemicals may alter human metabolism by promoting the growth of fat cells, or adipocytes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people with obesity has nearly tripled globally since 1975.

The WHO estimates that in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of these individuals, more than 650 million had obesity.

Having excess body weight increases a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

Research suggests that factors such as changes in diet are insufficient to explain the scale of the obesity epidemic and the speed with which it has spread around the world.

One possible culprit is the effect of synthetic chemicals in our environment called endocrine disruptors. These influence the endocrine system, which includes the hormones that regulate appetite, metabolism, and weight, among other bodily functions.

The most well-known endocrine disruptors are bisphenol A and phthalates, which are present in some plastics.

These chemicals affect human development and fertility, and lab-based experiments indicate that they may also promote obesity.

However, plastics contain thousands of chemicals. Products made from plastic comprise one or more polymers, but manufacturers also add chemical fillers and additives to achieve the desired properties.

A 2019 study estimates that plastic food packaging alone could contain more than 4,000 known substances that appear in chemical databases.

However, biologists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim suspected that there might be many unknown chemicals in plastic products that do not appear in the databases.

They used methanol to extract chemicals from 34 everyday products, including freezer bags, yogurt pots, drinks bottles, vegetable trays, scouring pads, and coffee cup lids.

Crucially, they used a technique called nontarget high resolution mass spectrometry, which identifies both known and unknown substances, to find chemicals.

They detected a total of 55,300 chemical features and tentatively identified 629 substances that are already in databases, including 11 that are known to disrupt metabolism.

Finally, they tested extracts from each of the products on a type of mouse precursor cell that can differentiate into fat cells.

They compared the effect of the extracts with those of a reference chemical — a diabetes drug called rosiglitazone (Avandia) that has well-known metabolic effects.

The chemical cocktails from four out of the 34 products transformed precursor cells into adipocytes that were larger and contained more fat than rosiglitazone-treated cells. Chemicals from 11 of the products induced the formation of adipocytes.

The results have been published in Environmental Science & Technology.

“It’s very likely that it is not the usual suspects, such as bisphenol A, causing these metabolic disturbances,” says first author Johannes Völker, Ph.D., who is affiliated with the university’s biology department.

“This means that other plastic chemicals than the ones we already know could be contributing to overweight and obesity,” he adds.

The scientists report that chemical cocktails from PVC and PUR products were most likely to promote the creation of fat cells, whereas those from PET, HDPE, and PLA products were inactive.

They emphasize that food packaging is not the only potential source of metabolism-disrupting chemicals.

The substances may also find their way into the body through the skin — for example, from plastic shower slippers or when inhaling dust that has been in contact with plastic flooring.

In their paper, the authors conclude:

“Given the potency of the extracted mixtures and considering our close and constant contact with plastics, our results support the idea that plastic chemicals can contribute to an obesogenic environment and, thus, the obesity pandemic.”

However, they acknowledge that the results are not definitive, since the experiments took place in cells growing in dishes in the lab rather than in whole animals.

“It is too early to quantify the contribution of plastic chemicals to obesity from a public health perspective, mainly because our work was done in vitro, not in vivo, and the causative chemicals remain unknown,” said senior author Martin Wagner, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at the university.

“So, we cannot draw a causal link to what is happening in human populations so far,” he told Medical News Today.

However, he pointed out that there is good evidence from in vivo and epidemiological studies that bisphenol A is associated with obesity.

In a tweet, he called for manufacturers to make their plastics chemically simpler and safer.

The researchers used methanol to extract chemicals from the plastics, which may not reflect what happens under everyday conditions.

“The authors are studying extraction rather than migration,” said Chris Howick, who is chairperson of the product safety committee at the British Plastics Federation.

“The authors are removing ingredients that would normally remain in the sample throughout its lifetime — as an example, flexible PVC products do not generally become brittle over their lifetimes since the plasticizer remains in the product,” he told MNT.

However, Prof. Wagner said that in a previous study, his team demonstrated that many chemicals do, in fact, leach from plastic products in a standard test for food contact materials that uses water only.

“We also found that these migrates induced in vitro toxicity, including endocrine-disrupting effects,” he said.

“For the metabolism-disrupting compounds, we have not done this type of experiment yet, so it is too early to tell if these also leach,” he added.

In their new paper, the authors also acknowledge that they analyzed plastic packaging that had contained food or personal care products.

“Because chemical migration is not a one-way street, we cannot exclude the possibility that compounds from the contents migrated into the packaging,” they write.

“This is an ever-present challenge in migration studies, and it is common, especially for food with a high fat content, for migration of food into the plastics to exceed any migration from the plastic into the food,” said Howick.

He also pointed out that certain foods have well-established effects on the endocrine system.

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Experts warn of high levels of chemicals in clothes by some fast-fashion retailers

Canadians who purchase cheap fast fashion from online retailers may be exposing themselves to potentially toxic chemicals.

A Marketplace investigation found that out of 38 samples of children’s, adult’s and maternity clothes and accessories, one in five items had elevated levels of chemicals — including lead, PFAS and phthalates — that experts found concerning. 

“People should be shocked,” said Miriam Diamond, an environmental chemist and professor at the University of Toronto. Diamond oversaw the lab testing that Marketplace commissioned. 

  • Watch the full investigation tonight at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem.

Lab tests expose toxic chemicals found on new clothes. And how to fight back against overseas fraudsters. 22:31

Scientists found that a jacket for toddlers, purchased from Chinese retailer Shein, contained almost 20 times the amount of lead that Health Canada says is safe for children. A red purse, also purchased from Shein, had more than five times the threshold. 

“This is hazardous waste,” said Diamond. 

This jacket, purchased for $23 from Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, contained almost 20 times the limit of lead Health Canada says is safe in children’s products. (David Abrahams/CBC)

“I’m alarmed because we’re buying what looks cute and fashionable on this incredibly short fashion cycle. What we’re doing today is to look [for] very short-lived enjoyment out of some articles of clothing that cost so much in terms of our … future health and environmental health. That cost is not worth it.”

Shein, which sells products both under its own brand and from third-party suppliers, sent an emailed statement to Marketplace saying it had removed the purse and jacket from its app, and would stop working with relevant suppliers until the issue was resolved. “We are committed to continuous improvement of our supply chain,” the company said.

Marketplace found garments containing elevated levels of chemicals from three fast-fashion retailers: Zaful, AliExpress and Shein. 

These companies boast hundreds to thousands of styles updated daily at rock-bottom prices. Tops are available for under $5, sneakers for under $10. Marketplace purchased a kids raincoat from AliExpress for just $6 US.

Miriam Diamond, a professor at the University of Toronto, oversaw the lab testing Marketplace commissioned to test for PFAS, heavy metals and phthalates in clothing. Here, she’s holding a purse from Shein that contained over five times the amount of lead that Health Canada considers safe in children’s products. (CBC)

Lead can cause damaging health effects to the brain, heart, kidneys and reproductive system. Children and pregnant people are more vulnerable, and infants and children are the most at risk, according to Health Canada’s website.

Lead is a naturally occurring element that can be found throughout the environment, but Joël Mertens, a product environmental impacts expert at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said the levels found in Marketplace’s lab results were beyond environmental contamination, or the small amounts clothes are exposed to unintentionally during the manufacturing process. 

“There were clearly products that were intentionally using lead and intentionally using it in a way that was well above what should be considered responsible  — or even safe,” he said.

Mertens explained that lead can be used in textile dye pigments, but there are safer alternatives that can achieve the same results.

Diamond pointed to the broader concerns stemming from the industry itself, noting that it’s not just the consumer that could be exposed to the ill effects of lead; it’s the entire supply chain, from mining the lead to shipping the final product. 

“If the final product isn’t safe for me, it’s definitely not safe for the workers that are handling these chemicals to make it,” said Diamond.

Health Canada would not give an interview, but in an emailed statement said it “monitors the marketplace and follows up on all identified consumer product risks.”

Expert: Current regulations on phthalates not strong enough in Canada

Other articles of clothing contained elevated levels of phthalates, a group of chemicals often used to make plastic more flexible. 

A clear tote purchased from Zaful contained enough phthalates, including DEHP, DiNP and DnOP, that Diamond and Mertens suggested Health Canada review the product.

Health Canada restricts some phthalates in children’s toys — like DEHP, DiNP and DnOP — to no more than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) each. However, it is unclear if it would be considered a children’s product. 

Health Canada has proposed to ban DEHP in all products bought and sold in Canada, but it is not yet in effect.  

Diamond said more attention should be paid to all phthalates, many of which are considered endocrine disruptors, which are chemicals that can interfere with hormones. They can also have developmental effects, and target the liver and kidneys, with particular concerns about its effect on people in their reproductive years, she said.

After notifying Zaful of the lab results, the company wrote in a statement that it is recalling the clear tote purse and sending customers who purchased it a refund.

This clear tote purse, purchased from Zaful for $13 US, contained levels of phthalates that concerned experts. (David Abrahams/CBC)

In addition to the tote purse, Diamond flagged elevated levels of phthalates in a children’s tutu dress from Shein, a children’s dress featuring Elsa from the movie Frozen from AliExpress, the red purse purchased from Shein, a children’s raincoat set from AliExpress and a set of plastic bibs from AliExpress. None exceeded Health Canada’s limits.

But Diamond still has concern, particularly with the tendency for children to suck on clothing or put it in their mouths. Children’s skin also can absorb chemicals easier than adults’ skin, she said. 

After informing retailers of Marketplace’s investigation, Shein, Zaful and AliExpress removed all questionable products from their sites. The companies confirmed they would be investigating further, and taking action against suppliers and sellers if necessary.

Health Canada addressed the tote in an emailed statement, writing that the presence of phthalates doesn’t always mean a risk. The regulator suggested that unless a toddler under age four is sucking on the purse for more than three hours on a daily basis, the purse is not a significant source of exposure to phthalates. 

WATCH | Marketplace finds toxic chemicals in some ultra fast-fashion items:

Toxic chemicals found in some Shein, AliExpress and Zaful clothes

A Marketplace investigation found lead, phthalates and ‘forever chemicals’ in purses, jackets and Disney princess dresses. 2:13

Some scientists are calling for stronger regulations on phthalates in Canada. Unlike the European Union, where the combined amount of phthalates is considered in regulations, Canada restricts each phthalate individually. 

“The question naturally arises that combined exposures are possible,” said Eva Pip, a biologist and professor at the University of Winnipeg. “You can’t have more than 1,000 [ppm] of any individual [phthalates] they list, but you could theoretically have 900 [ppm] of each of them together and still be okay.”

In 2021, Health Canada published a document stating that the combined exposure of phthalates to the Canadian environment is “below the levels that are expected to cause death to organisms.” 

Pip thinks this needs to change. “Given the fact that these chemicals are hormone and developmental disruptors, death [to organisms] is a pretty extreme criterion to determine harm,” she said.

Unnecessary forever chemicals found in rain gear

The scientists also tested for PFAS, a collection of fluorinated compounds commonly used in clothing for waterproofing and stain resistance. 

Many PFAS are known to be endocrine disruptors, and all are considered “forever chemicals” because they aren’t flushed from the body and don’t break down in the environment. 

Potential harmful effects include “increasing obesity to impairing immune function to different types of cancers to even diabetes,” Diamond said, noting: “This is a class of chemicals that should not be used unless they’re absolutely essential.” 

A raincoat purchased for $13.21 US from AliExpress contained high levels of PFAS, said Diamond. 

Health Canada prohibits the sale and import of any products containing particular fluorinated compounds, including the type CBC tested for, with the exception of products containing trace amounts of the chemical. However, the regulator doesn’t specify what a trace amount would be.

“This creates a huge loophole,” said Pip. “The manufacturer can claim that presence [of PFAS] in the product is incidental.” 

When reviewing the amount of PFAS found in the AliExpress raincoat, Pip said: “It is hard to imagine this is an incidental amount.”

When CBC brought the lab results to AliExpress, the company removed the raincoat from its online marketplace, confirming that it would be investigating further. 

A pink raincoat, purchased from AliExpress for $13.21 US, contained 220 parts per billion (ng/g) of PFAS, a type of ‘forever chemical’ that Diamond says should not be used in any product unless it is ‘absolutely essential.’ Experts considered this amount to be ‘high.’ (David Abrahams/CBC)

In addition to affecting human health, the chemicals assessed can enter the environment through laundering. A 2019 study from B.C.’s Ocean Wise found that up to 4.3 million microfibres can be shed in just one load of laundry. 

Mertens suggests PFAS are not essential, and there’s suitable alternatives easily available, such as wax for water repellency, or newer, degradable chemical compounds with similar effects.

“This is actually one of the areas that the industry has been focusing on, especially leading players in the industry, is phasing out PFAS compounds for alternatives,” said Mertens. 

Health Canada initially told Marketplace it has “identified concerns with PFAS and actively monitors the evolving science related to these substances.” With the products that concerned experts, the regulator confirmed it will “assess compliance and take immediate action as appropriate.” Ultimately though, the regulator said it is up to companies to provide safe products to Canadians. 

So you still need new clothes. Here’s what to do

Mertens says that while the fashion supply chain is complicated and spans many countries, the onus is on the brands themselves to oversee the process so it eliminates unnecessary chemicals.

“There are many, many organizations and groups out there that can help any brand or manufacturer navigate this space. Nobody really has an excuse to say, ‘Well, I just don’t know how to tackle it,’ including small brands.”

Mertens suggests consumers look for brands that complete product safety compliance through organizations like Oeko-Tex or Bluesign, which set restricted substances limits in each article of clothing based on progressive international regulations, like the EU’s REACH, which sets safe levels of certain chemicals in clothing.

And if you already own the garments? Diamond says some chemicals can wash out of clothes.

However, she adds, “In the long term, you know, I just don’t want to buy it.”