Our insights into and opinions on current matters in the industry.
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Regulation of nanomaterials in Europe
This week I had the pleasure of attending a one-day workshop on the European Commission’s 2nd review of nanomaterial regulation.
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Weight of Evidence Assessments – Whose evidence can be trusted
Accusations of bias as a result of funding sources, without any supporting evidence, are unhelpful. Data should always be assessed on its merits.
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Health and Safety in Laboratories
Understanding the need for sharing health and safety best practice in the laboratory.
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Derivation of Chemical Limit Values for Water Quality: An International Perspective
wca have recently completed a number of reviews and assessments of the guidance applied in different countries and regions to derive chemical limit values for surface water. This work included comparisons of the procedures and methods used to assess ecotoxicological data and derive different types of water quality limit values, and also assessed the potential for limit values derived in one jurisdiction to be adopted or adapted for use elsewhere.
What is very clear is that there are considerable differences between countries and regions with respect to the specific procedures used in their derivation. -
EU commission publishes plan for chemical mixtures
The EU commission has recently published it’s long anticipated communication on addressing the issue if chemical mixtures in the EU. Many think that the Commission has not made as much progress as anticipated.
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One year to go to the 2013 REACH registration deadline!
All phase-in substances, manufactured or imported in the EU above 100 tonnes per year, must be registered by 31st May, 2013. Work needs to have started if companies are to fulfil all obligations required for registration. As many companies learned in 2010, failure to prepare in plenty of time leads to rushed and needlessly stressful [...]
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REACH: Socio-Economic Assessments
Substances are now beginning to appear on the REACH Authorisation List which means that any continued use of these materials after their Sunset Date will only be possible if there is an authorisation for the specific use. In most cases, applicants for authorisations will need to submit a Socio-Economic Assessment (SEA) in support of their request, but this is currently an untested requirement about which considerable uncertainty exists.
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WHAM7 metal speciation modelling software released
An updated version of the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM) has recently been released. WHAM7 includes several developments from previous versions, and my initial impression is that it will be even easier to use.
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SETAC workshop on the synthesis, characterisation, ecotoxicity, hazard and risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles
At the beginning of January, I attended a three day SETAC “summer-school” entitled ‘The synthesis, characterisation, ecotoxicity, and hazard and risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles’. The workshop was run in the School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences at Plymouth University and provided a practical overview of the chemistry, biology, and risk assessment process for nanomaterials. It consisted of a series of lectures, which ranged from the colloid chemistry, bioavailability and ecotoxicity of nanoparticles to risk assessment and policy issues, and practical sessions in the laboratory to make, characterize, and test nanomaterials.
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Strategies for Sustainability
Strategies for Sustainability A further contribution of mine to the debate on moving towards a sustainable pharmaceutical industry has recently been published in European Pharmaceutical Contractor.
