EDF Health

In the face of mounting evidence about the dangers posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), one thing is clear: EPA needs to take urgent action to turn off the tap of these “forever chemicals” that have long-term consequences for our health and the environment. As we discussed in a previous blog, it is imperative […]

The post Now’s the Time—How EPA Can Use TSCA to Turn Off the PFAS Tap first appeared on EDF Health.

What’s New? Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) embarked on a critical Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) supplemental risk evaluation of 1,4-dioxane [PDF, 8.7MB]– a highly carcinogenic chemical that contaminates drinking water supplies across the country and is present in products, such as cleaning supplies and personal care products. This draft supplemental risk evaluation represents […]

The post EPA’s Approach to 1,4-Dioxane Falls Short of Protecting Fenceline Communities first appeared on EDF Health.

What’s New? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released and solicited public comments on its draft Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA) Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation. The purpose of a CRA is to determine the combined health and/or environmental risks from multiple stressors and chemicals that can cause the same harms. These guidelines, intended to […]

The post New guidelines to inform EPA’s approach to cumulative risk first appeared on EDF Health.

By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals, Klara Matouskova, PhD, Consultant, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant What Happened? In our new study, we evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices—a total of 403 between 2015-2020—that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA for review. Our goal was to determine whether industry was adhering to FDA’s Guidance on Best Practices for […]

The post Broken GRAS: Companies ignore FDA draft guidance; Bias & conflicts of interest prevail in safety determinations first appeared on EDF Health.

What’s New? For the first time, FDA has provided guidance on how to evaluate whether metal cookware is prohibited due to lead leaching into food. As part of an investigation to find the source of elevated blood lead levels in some refugee children, the Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, Washington [1] encountered high […]

The post FDA says “Cookware that exhibits any level of leachable lead upon testing is prohibited.” first appeared on EDF Health.

What’s New? EPA recently asked its Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC), comprised of experts in the fields of toxicology and environmental chemistry, to make recommendations on implementing new approach methods (NAMs) for testing the safety of new chemicals. NAMs encompass a wide array of new evaluation strategies, including testing cell lines or invertebrates (rather than […]

The post New Approach Methodologies Should Adhere to TSCA Standards first appeared on EDF Health.

    What Happened? EDF and other environmental groups recently asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the approval it issued for a group of new chemicals. This approval, also known as a consent order, allows Chevron to create fuels at its refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi, by using oils produced through a process of […]

The post Fatally Flawed: EDF & partners call on EPA to revoke approval for new chemicals with shocking health risks first appeared on EDF Health.

What’s New? A blockbuster Wall Street Journal (WSJ) investigation showed that lead-sheathed telecom cables are releasing toxic lead into water or surface soil. We are aware of more than 2,000 of these cables across the nation—and more than 300 of those pose a threat to community drinking water sources. Recognizing the potential risks to public […]

The post Lead Cables: 66,000 miles overhead or underwater first appeared on EDF Health.

What Happened? In April, a company called Prime Research Reports issued a press release in which it claimed FDA had approved THP (tetrahydropiperine) as a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) substance “for use in food products.” There is no record that FDA has either reviewed or approved THP for use in food. The report describes […]

The post Broken GRAS: FDA’s lack of post-market oversight continues to create health risks first appeared on EDF Health.

By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative, Environmental Defense Fund and Charlotte Brody, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures Key Message The scientific consensus is that there is no known safe level of lead exposure, and that no environment or home is truly free of lead. With a few exceptions, we think it is […]

The post Is it time to rethink “lead-safe” and “lead-free”? first appeared on EDF Health.

PFAS is a group of synthetic chemicals used in industrial processes and consumer products, including water-repellent clothing, such as outdoor wear, and food packaging. Once these “forever chemicals” are produced and used, they often make their way into the environment and our bodies. Many pose serious threats due to their toxic effects (often at trace […]

The post EPA Should Use U.S. Chemical Safety Law to Turn Off PFAS Tap first appeared on EDF Health.

Deep Dive: Read our Deep Dives blog for an in-depth analysis on the data that drove the 2023 allocation of federal funding for lead service line replacements. What’s New: EPA recently estimated there are 9.2 million lead service lines (LSLs) in the nation’s drinking water infrastructure based on information reported by states and water utilities. This […]

The post Flaws found in EPA’s lead pipe survey of states and water utilities first appeared on EDF Health.

Originally published on Deep Dives, April 13, 2023 What Happened FDA estimates that, each year, food companies designate 82 new food chemicals as “GRAS” (Generally Recognized as Safe) for use in food. On average, FDA reviews only 64 of those new chemicals for safety. For the remaining 18 chemicals in FDA’s estimate, the companies making […]

The post Broken GRAS: Secret GRAS determinations may outnumber those reviewed by FDA first appeared on EDF Health.

Originally published on Deep Dives, April 10, 2023 What Happened In its annual justification of budget estimates to Congress, FDA describes its activities and tracks its performance. One of those performance measures is the percentage of food- and color-additive petitions (FAPs/CAPs) the agency has reviewed and completed within 360 days of receipt.[1] We analyzed FDA’s reports […]

The post Alternative Figures: FDA’s food chemical reports to Congress don’t add up first appeared on EDF Health.

PFAS is a group of synthetic chemicals used in industrial processes and consumer products, including water-repellent clothing, such as outdoor wear, and food packaging. Once these “forever chemicals” are produced and used, they often make their way into the environment and our bodies. Many pose serious threats due to their toxic effects (often at trace […]

The post EPA Should Use U.S. Chemical Safety Law to Turn Off PFAS Tap first appeared on EDF Health.

Maricel Maffini, consultant, and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals What Happened A recent peer-reviewed publication criticized FDA’s criteria for identifying adverse health effects associated with exposure to pathogens, chemicals, or allergens in foods. The authors gave two recent examples of the agency dismissing health concerns: a toxin created in spoiled fish that caused temporary, […]

The post FDA’s squishy definition of adverse health effects of substances in food first appeared on EDF Health.

Maricel Maffini, consultant, and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals What Happened A recent peer-reviewed publication criticized FDA’s criteria for identifying adverse health effects associated with exposure to pathogens, chemicals, or allergens in foods. The authors gave two recent examples of the agency dismissing health concerns: A toxin created in spoiled fish that caused temporary, […]

The post The FDA’s squishy definition of adverse health effects of substances in food first appeared on EDF Health.

Maricel Maffini, consultant, and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals What Happened? On June 2, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU) responsible for proposing legislation and implementing decisions, announced it is preparing an initiative that “will impose a ban on the use of BPA [bisphenol A] in food contact materials […]

The post European Commission plans to ban food uses of BPA. We ask again: Where is FDA? first appeared on EDF Health.

Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative EDF identified 10 cities in the U.S. with the most lead service lines (LSLs) based on numbers reported in 2021.[1] These cities collectively have over one million LSLs, representing 12% of the 9.2 million EPA estimates are in the country. Below we […]

The post Top 10 cities with the most lead pipes first appeared on EDF Health.

By. Joanna Slaney, Senior Director, Federal Affairs, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant What Happened? On May 19, Reps. Katie Porter, Steve Cohen, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Earl Blumenauer, and Raúl Grijalva issued a letter [PDF, 300KB] to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf calling on FDA to “act expeditiously to protect the public from the health risks posed […]

The post Representatives Call For FDA Public Hearing on Phthalates first appeared on EDF Health.