Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Canada takes first step to regulate toxic 'forever chemicals.' But is it enough?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Gaps, Thyroid hormones, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Industry, PFAS, Bed, Firefighter, Public, Policy, PFOA, Cancer, Food, Fluorine, Carbon, Government, Food packaging, Soil, Risk, Blood, Water, Food chain, Comment, Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, Liver, Pregnancy, Birth, Health, Food security, Environment, Bird, PFOS, Disease, Cosmetics, Hazardous waste, Whaling, Inuit, Arctic

These chemicals are found in food packaging, waterproof cosmetics, non-stick pans, stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints and fire-fighting foams.

Key Points: 
  • These chemicals are found in food packaging, waterproof cosmetics, non-stick pans, stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints and fire-fighting foams.
  • As environmental health researchers, we believe that the government needs to regulate and, eventually, stop the continued release of persistent toxic PFAS into the environment and also prevent the creation of any toxic replacements.

How do PFAS affect us?

    • The widespread use of these chemicals can be attributed to the strong chemical bond between the carbon and fluorine atoms that make up the backbone of PFAS.
    • However, that strong bond also leads to PFAS taking years, even decades, to break down in the environment.
    • For example, larger, older fish tend to contain higher concentrations of PFAS compared to smaller, younger fish.
    • A Canadian study found that at least 65 per cent of infants were exposed to PFAS in the womb.

Regulating PFAS

    • Canada also regulates another subset of PFAS called long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids.
    • However, there are over 4,700 PFAS, and the Canadian and international regulations in place only cover a tiny fraction of the forever chemicals in the market.

Populations at highest risk

    • As public health scientists try to catch up with the industry’s unrestrained chemical production, some populations are put at heightened risk of PFAS exposure, including firefighters, pregnant women and Arctic Indigenous populations.
    • As emphasized in our report, Inuit living in Nunavik have some of the highest PFAS concentrations worldwide.
    • Some compounds measured in their blood were up to seven times higher than the concentrations measured in the rest of the Canadian population.

Towards better regulation

    • Yet, we know little about the impact of being exposed to multiple PFAS at a time.
    • Ongoing scientific studies are trying to understand the implications of mixtures on our health and how to regulate these forever chemicals accordingly.
    • The Canadian report is a necessary step to inform future regulations and stop the continued release of persistent PFAS in the environment.

Stronger chemicals management and the right to a healthy environment: Canada's cornerstone environmental law has been modernized

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Advertising, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Food and Drugs Act, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, United Nations, The Honourable, Senate, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Canada), CEPA, Commons, London Protocol, Cancer, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Rights, Climate change, Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, Mercury, Rotterdam Convention, Reproduction, Government, Sale, Science, Parliament, River, Asbestos, BPA, Government of Canada, Environment, Environmental Protection Act, Health, FDA, House, Food, Legislation, Lake, Environmental remediation, Nursing

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) is one of Canada's core environmental laws to fight pollution and protect the environment and Canadians from its effects.

Key Points: 
  • The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) is one of Canada's core environmental laws to fight pollution and protect the environment and Canadians from its effects.
  • CEPA provides the tools to address a wide range of pollution sources, including from chemicals, biotechnology products, vehicles, engines, fuels, hazardous wastes, and environmental emergencies.
  • "The world has changed in the last 20 years, and as of today, Canada's cornerstone environmental law has changed with it.
  • The modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) responds to a changing global chemicals landscape and consideration of new science.

Government of Canada taking next step in addressing "forever chemicals" PFAS

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 19, 2023
Science, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Food, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, The Honourable, Drinking water, PFAS, QC, Atmosphere, Firefighter, Great Lakes, Guilbeault, Sewage, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Clothing, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Risk management, Climate change, Cosmetics, Toxicity, Biosolids, PFA, Government, Reproduction, Sale, Organization, Lubricant, Persistent organic pollutant, Food packaging, Human, Metabolism, River, Comment, Immune system, Nervous system, European, Groundwater, Dust, Kidney, Indigenous self-government in Canada, Liver, Growth, Environment, Textile, Safety, Lake, Vaccine, Health

Canada has previously prohibited the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, and import of three subgroups of PFAS, with limited exemptions.

Key Points: 
  • Canada has previously prohibited the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, and import of three subgroups of PFAS, with limited exemptions.
  • The government is also taking action to protect firefighters, reduce Canadians' exposure to PFAS in drinking water, and manage PFAS in biosolids.
  • Canada and the European Union are the first jurisdictions in the world to propose class management of PFAS.
  • As an example of actions that the Government of Canada is taking to reduce PFAS in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is signaling its intent to implement an interim standard for PFAS in biosolids imported and sold as commercial fertilizer.

ecoSPEARS® Presents New Technology to Eliminate 'Forever Chemicals' at 2023 COPs Conference in Geneva, Switzerland

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Environment, Technology, Environmental Issues, Other Energy, Utilities, Chemicals, Plastics, Other Technology, Manufacturing, Green Technology, Energy, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Food, International Pollutants Elimination Network, Life, PFAS, IPEN, SC, Cancer, Conference of the parties, Multimedia, Burn, RC, Rotterdam Convention, COP, Basel Convention, Food packaging, Dioxin, Soil, NASA, Risk, Water, PCB, Polychlorinated biphenyl, Thyroid disease, Health, Conference, Cryptocurrency, Environmental remediation, Cosmetics, Hazardous waste, Party

View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005912/en/

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005912/en/
    Serg Albino (CEO & Co-founder of ecoSPEARS) presents ecoSPEARS' non-thermal, non-combustive technology to the global delegation at the 2023 Conference of Parties in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    The ecoSPEARS process to eliminate toxic contaminants onsite is becoming the leading technology for many countries moving forward, which is a paradigm shift in the ability to remediate toxic sites.
  • PCBs and PFAS chemicals have been widely used to manufacture industrial and consumer products, and their presence has led to global contamination of soil and water.
  • It can be used to eliminate PCBs, PFAS, dioxins, and other persistent toxins wherever they are found.

Prestigious international education forum to be held in Canada for the first time

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
University of Oldenburg, Educational technology, Partnership, University, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, COVID-19, CEO, Technology, Tenth, Education, Summer learning loss, Republic, Disability, Solution, Person, Commonwealth, Environmental science, Open University, Policy, Asa Briggs, Learning, Science, Student, Organization, GLOBE, Equity, AU, COL, COER, African National Congress Youth League, Congress, Athabasca University, Parliament, Environment, Inclusion, Editorial, Tourism, Oil, Management, Risk management, Nightclub, Paralympic Games

The Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning will be held in Calgary from Sept. 14-16, 2022.

Key Points: 
  • The Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning will be held in Calgary from Sept. 14-16, 2022.
  • This year, COL is partnering with Athabasca University (AU) to bring the conference to North America for the first time.
  • Taking place every three years, the forum is considered one of the worlds leading international conferences on open, distance, and technology-enabled education.
  • This reflects the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on education and traininga topic many AU researchers have focused on over the past several years.

September is Head Lice Prevention Month; The National Pediculosis Association Recommends Combing as a Winning Strategy Over Pesticides

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Pesticide, Public health, Agriculture, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, EPA, Benzene, US Food Sovereignty Alliance, Scabies, Wockhardt, Parent, Food, Neurotoxicity, Superfund, FDA, News, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Industry, Child, Aquaculture, NPA

NEWTON, Mass., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The not-for-profit National Pediculosis Association (NPA) http://www.headlice.org began in 1983 as a grassroots organization with a mission to protect children from the misuse and abuse of pesticide treatments for lice. Lindane also known as gamma hexachlorocyclohexane is chlorinated benzene and was at this time the pediatrician's treatment of choice. Lindane is now internationally acknowledged as a neurotoxic, carcinogenic, and persistent pesticide, yet still considered a second line treatment for lice by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lindane was cancelled for agriculture by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2006 and Wockhardt announced its decision to discontinue manufacturing lindane lice shampoo on June 24, 2022.

Key Points: 
  • The NPA offers tips to parents to be proactive, so head lice will not catch them or their children by surprise.
  • NPA's president Deborah Altschuler says, "There's a critical difference between treating lice and treating a child infested with lice.
  • Despite the many other public health challenges of our day, head lice remain important to the people who have them."
  • Combing is a winning strategy empowering parents to safely and effectively manage both preventive screening and prompt treatment without pesticides.