The growing problem of plastic pollution in the environment is receiving an increasing amount of attention (see article in Nature). Small particles of plastics are often referred to as microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5 mm [1]) and nanoplastics (the nanoscale fraction of plastic particles). Nano- and microplastic particles (NMPPs) can be formed through environmental and mechanical degradation (the top-down mechanism).

ACGIH® announced today that its Board of Directors ratified the 2020 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®). The Board also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Changes (NIC).

Luxembourg has become the first European Union (EU) country to completely ban products containing glyphosate, the controversial herbicide at the center of high-profile lawsuits, and conflicting scientific studies and health claims. Glyphosate has already been banned in Vietnam and Thailand. Mexico has announced plans to do the same.

Have a cockroach problem? Before you order pesticides online, consider this: the EPA has issued a “Stop Sale” order to online marketplace Bonanza.com requiring the company to immediately halt sales of a dozen imported pesticide products not legal -- or safe -- for sale in the United States. Among the unregistered, illegal pesticides targeted by the order is “Miraculous Insecticide Chalk" -dangerous because of its documented history of causing illness in children who mistake the chalk for regular sidewalk or black board chalk.

Machine guarding solutions, a chemical tank cover and work boots for women in the trades were the top occupational safety and health products featured this week on ISHN.com.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board's (CSB) is inviting comment on its just-issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding accidental release reporting. The proposed rule describes when an owner or operator is required to file a report of an accidental release and the required content of such a report and is intended to ensure that the CSB receives rapid, accurate reports of any accidental release that meets established statutory criteria.

New data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicate that concentrations of ethylene oxide, a colorless and carcinogenic gas, are higher in Phoenix than anywhere else in the country. The data came from 18 air quality monitoring stations in nine states across the country, from Seattle to St. Louis to Camden, New Jersey.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board reverses a controversial accident investigation report policy, the “five second rule” gets debunked and a safety and health management standard is revised. These were among the top articles featured on ISHN.com this week.

CHEMTREC®, a service of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), is proud to announce its first International Hazmat Summit. The event will be held at the Westin Houston Memorial City in Houston, Texas on October 29 – 31, 2019. “Our goal is to provide a one-of-a-kind forum for those involved in the safe transportation, handling, and use of hazardous materials, including shippers, carriers, and emergency and spill clean-up responders,” said Chief Executive of CHEMTREC John Modine.

Mesothelioma cancer is the most fatal among asbestos-related diseases. The cancer presents itself 20 to 50 years after exposure and may originate in the lungs, heart, or abdominal cavity. The disease will begin to form after inhalation or ingestion of airborne asbestos particles. Due to the generic symptoms a patient may experience, late stage diagnosis is a common occurrence among mesothelioma patients.