Innovative analytical methodologies for characterizing chemical exposure with a view to next-generation risk assessment.

The chemical burden on the environment and human population is increasing. Consequently, regulatory risk assessment must keep pace to manage, reduce, and prevent adverse impacts on human and environmental health associated with hazardous chemicals. Surveillance of chemicals of known, emerging, or potential future concern, entering the environment-food-human continuum is needed to document the reality of risks posed by chemicals on ecosystem and human health from a one health perspective, feed into early warning systems and support public policies for exposure mitigation provisions and safe and sustainable by design strategies.

Development of USEtox characterisation factors for dishwasher detergents using data made available under REACH.

Because of the more and more stringent regulations and customer demand, dishwasher detergent manufacturers are constantly improving the composition of the products towards better environmental performances. In order to quantify the pros and cons of these changes on the lifecycle of detergents, as compared to conventional products, the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a meaningful opportunity. However, the application of the methodology is hampered by the lack of Characterisation Factors (CFs) relative to the specific chemical substances included in the detergents composition, which cannot be included in the impact assessment of the effluent discharge.

Is it better to remove pharmaceuticals in decentralized or conventional wastewater treatment plants? A life cycle assessment comparison.

After ingestion, pharmaceuticals are excreted unchanged or metabolized. They subsequently arrive in conventional wastewater treatment plants and are then released into the environment, often without undergoing any degradation. Conventional treatment plants can be upgraded with post treatment, alternatively the removal of pharmaceuticals could be achieved directly at point sources.

Impact of para-phenylenediamine on cyclooxygenases expression and prostaglandin formation in human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT).

para-Phenylenediamine, a monocyclic arylamine, is a frequently used chemical and ingredient of oxidative hair coloring products. Thus exposure occurs predominantly via skin. Cyclooxygenases, the key enzymes in prostaglandin synthesis, exhibit manifold physiological and pathophysiologial functions in skin and skin cells such as keratinocytes.