Blog Archive: 2010

Are University Press Officers bringing science into disrepute and are they being aided and abetted by their academics?

December 21, 2010 by David Taylor

When I was doing my PhD in the 1960s the world of science was a different place; for example, computers were very large machines housed in computer laboratories and my thesis had to be typed and figures drawn by hand.

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Are University Press Officers bringing science into disrepute and are they being aided and abetted by their academics?

Nanomaterial Provisions and Compliance under REACH

November 24, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

There are no direct provisions under REACH for nanomaterials as a separate class of substances.

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Nanomaterial Provisions and Compliance under REACH

National legislation of nanomaterials in the context of REACH

November 24, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

Industry initiatives on nanomaterials

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National legislation of nanomaterials in the context of REACH

Nanomaterials: Definitions and registrations under REACH

November 24, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

Nano, from the Greek for “dwarf”, is the prefix for 10-9.

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Nanomaterials: Definitions and registrations under REACH

The Regulation of Nanotechnologies under REACH

November 24, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

Early in November, I attended a workshop on nanomaterials “The Regulation of Nanotechnologies under REACH” organized by Mayer Brown and the Nanotechnology Industries Association in London.

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The Regulation of Nanotechnologies under REACH

wca meet 2010 REACH deadline for 400 substances

November 23, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

It’s probably an understatement to suggest that in the run-up to the 2010 REACH registration deadline we’ve been extremely busy.

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wca meet 2010 REACH deadline for 400 substances

Substance Avoidance Lists: What are they and how can you keep track of them?

November 12, 2010 by Rhiannon Smith

David Taylor and I have been working on the development of so-called “Substance Avoidance lists” which can assist businesses in planning their inventory of product ingredients into the future.

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Substance Avoidance Lists: What are they and how can you keep track of them?

Future directions for REACH: 2011 to the 2013 deadline

November 2, 2010 by Becky Marks

As the 2010 REACH registration deadline approaches attention is beginning to turn towards requirements from 2011 onwards.

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Future directions for REACH: 2011 to the 2013 deadline

The EU Ecolabel: A growing environmental standard

November 1, 2010 by Becky Marks

The EU ecolabel is a voluntary scheme set up in 1992. It provides a Europe-wide environmental accreditation for a wide range of products and services, from tourist accommodation to cleaning products. Products awarded the ecolabel show the distinctive flower logo.

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The EU Ecolabel: A growing environmental standard

Hazard vs Risk in EU Chemicals Regulation

October 19, 2010 by David Taylor

Over the last 150 years chemists have used their knowledge and skill to develop a wide range of synthetic chemicals that have transformed our lives and our living standards: medicines and disinfectants, textiles and plastics, fertilisers and pesticides, semi-conductors and liquid crystals.

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Hazard vs Risk in EU Chemicals Regulation

Marine Strategy Framework Directive

October 18, 2010 by Dean Leverett

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires that EU Member States put in place measures to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in their marine waters by 2020.

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Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Dealing with the Uncertainty of Non-Test Methods under REACH

October 15, 2010 by wca Staff

At wca we have used QSARs and read-across extensively under REACH, so we were naturally interested when on 23rd – 24th of September the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) hosted a workshop entitled “Dealing with Uncertainty of Non-Test Methods under REACH”.

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Dealing with the Uncertainty of Non-Test Methods under REACH

ECOPHARMACOVIGILANCE – Where next?

October 14, 2010 by David Taylor

Although, at least in the developed world, acute impacts of chemicals on the aquatic environment are rare, and chronic impacts from chemicals derived from point sources can be controlled, there is increasing interest in the potential for chronic impacts to occur from what are euphemistically called “down the drain chemicals”.

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ECOPHARMACOVIGILANCE – Where next?

Manufacturing Using Sustainable Chemistry (MUSC)

October 13, 2010 by David Taylor

Manufacturing Using Sustainable Chemistry is a new network that has been established jointly by the Chemical Industries Association and the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York.

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Manufacturing Using Sustainable Chemistry (MUSC)

Future Directions for Biocides Regulation in the EU

October 7, 2010 by Melanie Gross

Revisions to the Biocidal Products Directive and the new Biocidal Products Regulation

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Future Directions for Biocides Regulation in the EU

European Lubricants Industry Annual Congress

October 6, 2010 by Paul Whitehead

On October 21 and 22, the Independent Union of the European Lubricants Industry (UEIL) are holding their annual congress in Vienna.

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European Lubricants Industry Annual Congress

Horizon Scanning – How to add value not additional cost

September 22, 2010 by wca Staff

Innovation is the key to business success but is always associated with risks. However, risk aversion can be just as damaging to future success as taking unnecessary risks.

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Horizon Scanning – How to add value not additional cost

New website on Alternatives to Animal Testing

September 16, 2010 by Mark Crane

We have worked with our collaborators to produce a new website which presents the results from a four-year Defra project on Alternatives to Animal Testing.

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New website on Alternatives to Animal Testing

Assessing the biological effects of nanomaterials

September 13, 2010 by Peter Simpson

Last week I went to a technical workshop organised by NanoImpactNet on the hazard assessment of nanomaterials in Biota. NanoImpactNet is a coordination action funded by the EC’s 7th Framework Programme. The workshop was hosted by University College Dublin. It rained!

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Assessing the biological effects of nanomaterials

SUBSTITUTION – What?, Why? and How?

September 9, 2010 by David Taylor

The process of substitution is a core part of the EU REACH Regulation. Anyone applying for authorisation to use a “substance of very high concern” (svhc) that has been added to the list of substances in Annex XIV, must supply a substitution plan along with the application.

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SUBSTITUTION – What?, Why? and How?

Workshop on Alternatives to Animal Testing – September the 17th

August 4, 2010 by Mark Crane

We are presenting the results of the Defra-funded inchemicotox project on alternatives to animal testing in chemical risk assessment at a one-day workshop on the 17th of September 2010.

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Workshop on Alternatives to Animal Testing – September the 17th

Water Sustainability and the Food Industry

August 2, 2010 by Mark Crane

wca environment’s Chairman, John Fawell, has recently worked on several water sustainability projects for food companies.

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Water Sustainability and the Food Industry

ECOVIGILANCE – An essential requirement for the maintenance of biodiversity.

August 2, 2010 by David Taylor

The protection of biodiversity clearly has to involve multiple actions from a variety of actors, many of which relate to the continued maintenance of appropriate habitats. In addition, there is also a need to protect ecosystems from any toxic insults arising from human activities.

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ECOVIGILANCE – An essential requirement for the maintenance of biodiversity.

Environmental Quality Standards and Field Evidence

July 8, 2010 by Adam Peters

Many European Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for chemical toxicants are being revised and updated under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and some significant changes from previous standards and approaches have been proposed.

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Environmental Quality Standards and Field Evidence

Regulatory developments in environmental risk assessment of endocrine disruptors

July 4, 2010 by Melanie Gross

A shift from fundamental research on endocrine disruption (ED) to a regulatory context was evident at SETAC Europe this year, with only one plenary and accompanying poster session dedicated to regulatory developments in environmental risk assessment of endocrine disruptors.

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Regulatory developments in environmental risk assessment of endocrine disruptors

Ecopharmacostewardship – A pharmaceutical industry perspective

June 1, 2010 by David Taylor

This chapter has now been published in the text book Green and Sustainable Pharmacy (Edit: Kümmerer & Hemple, Pub: Springer) and describes the environmental activities being pursued by the research pharmaceutical companies to produce a more sustainable business.

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Ecopharmacostewardship – A pharmaceutical industry perspective

UK Coalition Government & Animal Testing

May 28, 2010 by David Taylor

Animal Testing, environmental risk assessment, Household Products, REACH, Toxicology & Ecotoxicology

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UK Coalition Government & Animal Testing

Socioeconomic assessment under REACH (again!)

May 24, 2010 by Mark Crane

A few weeks ago I mentioned an ECHA workshop that I attended in Helsinki at which I gave a presentation on translating risk assessment outputs into socioeconomic analysis inputs.

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Socioeconomic assessment under REACH (again!)

n-hexane linked to adverse health effects in China

May 11, 2010 by Paul Whitehead

I was recently contacted by a Guardian newspaper journalist to provide some background on the properties of n-hexane.

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n-hexane linked to adverse health effects in China

Mode of Action – A paradigm shift in the risk assessment of micropollutants?

May 10, 2010 by David Taylor

Historically, society has evaluated chemicals using different systems developed on the basis of the use to which the substance was put.

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Mode of Action – A paradigm shift in the risk assessment of micropollutants?

Converting Environmental Risk Assessment Outputs into Socioeconomic Impact Assessment Inputs under REACH

April 7, 2010 by Mark Crane

I’ve recently completed work for European Competent Authorities to develop instructive examples when translating environmental risks into environmental impacts for informing socioeconomic analysis (SEA) and eventual decision making under REACH.

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Converting Environmental Risk Assessment Outputs into Socioeconomic Impact Assessment Inputs under REACH

Report from the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Pharmacy

March 4, 2010 by David Taylor

This meeting, which attracted around 40 delegates from academia, industry and regulators, was a mixture of formal input and workshop sessions designed to clarify the meaning of the term “Sustainable Pharmacy” and how progress could be made to achieve it.

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Report from the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Pharmacy