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Tackling Toxics: The “Six Classes” Approach Towards Healthier Products, People, & Planet

Arlene Blum PhD

Visiting Scholar in Chemistry, UC Berkeley

www.GreenSciencePolicy.org

A Planetary Boundary for Chemical Pollution Evidence of widespread harmChemical pollution is global:

• Rapidly increasing global production

• Persistence and long range transport

• Finite capacity of the earth to absorb toxics

Demands a globally coordinated response

Diamond et al, 2015, Environment International

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEwww.GreenSciencePolicy.org

Transition to the Green economy

6-7 SeptemberBratislava

• To achieve a green & circular economy, we should avoid the use of hazardous substances

• Products containing harmful chemicals cannot be reused or recycled and must be land filled or destroyed removing them from circular economy

3

U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)

• 62,000 previous chemicals “grandfathered”

• 20,000 new chemicals

– 85% have no health data

– 67% have no data at all

Michael Wilson, Green Chemistry in California: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/news/06_wilson_policy.htm

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEGreenSciencePolicy.org

http://www.epa.gov/

ProblemHuman Toxicological Trial?

“We are conducting a massive clinical toxicological trial, and our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects.”

-Herbert Needleman & Philip Landrigan

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEwww.GreenSciencePolicy.org Green Chemistry: Cornerstone to a Sustainable California 2008: Cal/EPA

Regrettable Substitution

Decabromodiphenyl ethane

O

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Decabromodiphenyl ether

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Decabromodiphenyl ethane

Concerns:• Persistence• Bioaccumulation• Toxicity

Concerns:• Persistence• Bioaccumulation• Toxicity

One definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

The Six Classes

5. Organic solvents benzene, methylene chloride, xylene, etc.

6. Certain metals lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, etc.

4. Bisphenols and phthalates phthalates, BPA, BPS, etc.

1. Highly fluorinated chemicals (PFASs) stain and water repellants

2. Chlorinated antimicrobials triclosan and triclocarban

3. Flame retardantsbrominated, chlorinated, phosphate


Is it necessary?

Is it worth it?

Is there a safer alternative?


The Six Classes Challenge

Can the use of the Six Classes in consumer products be

reduced by 50% in five years?


SixClasses.org

15-minute webinars on Six Classes

containing chemicals of concern

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEGreenSciencePolicy.orgGREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEwww.GreenSciencePolicy.org

Material Buyer’s Club

• Require transparency from manufacturers

• Utilize collective purchasing power to create a demand for healthy products and materials

Classes I to 3

Class 1: Highly Fluorinated Chemicals (PFAS)

Carbon-Fluorine bond strength:• Leads to oil and water repellency • Lasts for geologic time!

Adapted from slide by Dr. Jennifer Field

(C8)

PFAS Exposure is a health concern

16

Detectable serum PFASs in US

Non-detect

Exposure linked to health risks:

Kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, obesity, immune

suppression, and endocrine disruption

(Ref: Lewis et al., 2015; Grandjean et al., 2012;

Braun et al., 2016; Barry et al., 2013)Courtesy, Cindy Hu, Harvard University

Signed by 230 scientists from 40 countries

May 2015 Madrid Statement on Highly Fluorinated Chemicals

“We call on the international community to cooperate in limiting the production and use of PFASs and in developing safer non-fluorinated alternatives.”

flickr @ Marc

2015: Environmental Health Perspectives

In the news

PFASs have been detected worldwide in surface water, wastewater, groundwater, drinking water, and landfill leachates.

PFAS MRL (ng/L) Occurrence (%) Max (ng/L)C7 10 0.66 82 (NY, DE, PA)C8 20 0.96 349 (PA)C9 20 0.05 55.8 (NJ, PA)

PFBS 90 0.03 150 (CO, PA, AL)PFHxS 30 0.61 680 (DE, PA, CO)PFOS 40 0.81 1,800 (DE, CO, PA)

To date: 22,942 samples from 3,605 PWSsPFAS detects: 351 samples (1.5%) from 132 PWSs (3.7%)Of samples with PFAS detects: 22.8% derived from surface wate

Slide courtesy Andy Lindstrom USEPA

UCMR3 requires monitoring for six PFASs in US drinking water. Monitoring began in 2013, and latest data release was January 2015.

Data from U.S. EPA’ s third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring

Rule01. 02. 2013 – 12. 09. 2015

4864 public water systems

36149 drinking water samples

Six PFASs (PFBS, PFHxS, PFHpA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA)

From Cindy Hu et al, 2015

EPA Drinking Water Health Advisory Levels

January 2009: Provisional level of 400 ppt for PFOA and 200 pptfor PFOS

May 2016: Lifetime level of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS –individually or combined

Watersheds with point sources have higher detection frequencies for PFASs

From Cindy Hu et al, 2015

Air Force to stop using AFFF foam in training exercises

• Drinking water of six million Americans contaminated with PFAS

• AFFF firefighting foams used in training are a major contributor

• Air Force, on 19 August 2016, said:– “will stop using foam in training

exercises” – “will replace all C8 foam with C6

by the end of this year”

Fluorine in U.S. fast food packaging paper(percent positive; 400 products sampled)

25

Adopted from Schaider L. 2016 Fluorinated compounds in U.S. fast food packaging.

Should these products be considered compostable?

The Teflon Toxin Goes to Court.Sharon Lerner: The Intercept

Sept 2015 3,500 personal injury and 37 wrongful

death claims against DuPont went to trial

First jury decisionsOctober 2015: $1.6 million to a woman who developed kidney cancer.

July 2016: $5 million to a man with testicular cancer.

January 5th 2017: $10.5 million for malice to another man with testicular cancer

“If the chemical were really dangerous, DuPont attorneys contend, government agencies would have regulated it. “

http://newsletters.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/196911/19699/149015/0/

Class 2: Antimicrobials

TriclocarbanTriclosan

Courtesy: Dr. Gary GinsbergGREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE

www.GreenSciencePolicy.org

5 – 10 Seconds

(ineffective)

TCS/TCC in Soap Could Work, But Don't

Why: Contact Time!

30

Lifetime exposure in

aquatic organisms

(toxic)

Source: US EPA

2 Antimicrobials

Antibiotics

Others

Antibiotics

Others

Antimicrobials

Mass of Compounds

Triclosan & Triclocarban: Key Sludge Pollutants

31

McClellan & Halden, Water Res. 44: 626-636 (2010)

Number of Compounds, N = 72

EPA Method 1694

The Florence Statement documents environmental & human health concerns

Adapted from: Halden, ES&T, 2014. 48(7):3603−3611http://GreenSciencePolicy.org/florence-statement/

U.S. Food &Drug Administration Rule (September 2016):

• Over-the-counter consumer soaps containing triclosan (liquid soaps) and triclocarban (bar soaps) can no longer be sold.

• Manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term use and more effective than soap and water in preventing the spread of infections.

Class 3 Flame retardants Used to meet flammability standards

since the 1970s

• Children’s sleepwear

• Furniture

• Television enclosures

• Foam plastic building insulation


Technical Bulletin 117

– Required furniture foam to

withstand a small open flame

for 12 seconds

– No significant fire safety

benefit (fires start in exterior

fabric not filling)


From Products to People


Human Health

associated withHigher pentaBDE lower birth weight

impaired attention

poorer coordination

lowered IQ

longer time to get pregnant

altered thyroid hormones

Eskenazi et al, 2010, 2011, 2012GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEGreenSciencePolicy.org

Fire Safety Benefit?

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEwww.GreenSciencePolicy.org Babrauskas et al. 2011; Talley 1995; Mehta (CPSC) 2012

~

Flame retardant treated foam

Non– treated foam

“No significant, consistent difference…”

(regarding California TB117)

San Antonio Statement on Brominated and Chlorinated Flame Retardants

• Signed by over 200 scientist's from 30 countries

• Documents health and environmental harm and lack of proven fire safety benefit

2010: Environmental Health Perspectives

42

Google

Pulitzer PrizeFinalist

Goldsmith Prize Investigative Reporting

Environmental Journalists Society Environmental Reporting

Gerald Loeb Award Business and Financial Journalism

National Press Club Consumer Award

June 18, 2012

Governor Brown Directs State Agencies to Revise Flammability Standards

‘We must find better ways to meet fire safety standards by reducing and eliminating -wherever possible - dangerous chemicals.”

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEGreenSciencePolicy.orgGREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTEwww.GreenSciencePolicy.org Press release, CA Office of Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

California Flammability Standard TB117-2013


Product Labels Required

www.bearhfti.ca.gov/about_us/sb_1019_faq.pdf

Mandatory January 1, 2015

Flame retardants not needed,

but can still be used

Plastic foam insulations (polystyrene, polyurethane, polyiso, etc.)

Used increasingly for

energy efficiency

Can be used:

• inside walls

• below grade

• attics, etc.


HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane)

Polystyrene (XPS and EPS)


HBCD:• Bioaccumulative• Thyroid disruption• Affects developing

nervous system• Developmental

neurotoxicity in mice• Banned in 160

countries

Covaci et al, 2006; Marvin et al, 2011; US EPA 2008

97% of XPS/EPS in Sweden, Norway is non-flame retarded

97 ppm to 3 ppm

A Problem for the Circular Economy:What will happen to furniture treated with flame retardants?

Low income communities

Long term problem

(>30 years)

Resale

Landfill

Mechanical Recycling

Bonded carpet cushion

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org

What Are Better Solutions?

FoamExchange

Service

EnergyRecovery?

Chemical Recycling?

More Secure Landfills?


?

?

?

RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF WASTES WITH FRsApril 2016 Participatory Workshop Berkeley, CA

Class 4: Bisphenols and Phthalates

Courtesy: Dr. Miriam Diamond

Uses:• Bisphenols: plastics,

• cash register receipts, adhesives, can linings

• Phthalates: plasticizers, lubricants, solvents, emulsifiers, fragrances

http://www.susanfreinkel.com/books_Plastic.html

Class 5: Organic Solvents(aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated, oxygenated)

• Hydrocarbon solvents- Aliphatic organic solvents (petroleum-based)- Aromatic organic solvents (toluene, xylene,

benzene)

• Chlorinated solvents- E.g., Methylene chloride, perc, TCE

• Oxygenated solvents- Acetone, glycol ethers, alcohols

Courtesy: Dr. Liz Harriman

Class 6: Certain Metals(arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury etc.)

Courtesy: Dr. Graham Peaslee

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE

greensciencepolicy.org

How can I help reduce legacy and newexposure to harmful chemicals?

GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE

greensciencepolicy.org

1. Responsible disposal of foam and plasticmixed with flame retardants?

2. Food contact materials without fluorinated chemicals?

3. Furniture without fluorinated chemicals, antimicrobials and flame retardants?

4. Alternative fire-fighting foams at airports without fluorinated chemicals?

Join us in Berkeley, CaliforniaFebruary 8-10, 2017

Contact: [email protected]

February 8 Responsible Disposal of Flame Retarded Foam and Plastic:

Developing the Basic Science

February 9A Sticky Situation:

Highly Fluorinated Chemicals in Food Contact Materials

February 10Reducing Toxics:

Flame Retardant Dilemma and Beyond

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By Reducing use of Six Classes

We can have a healthier world

For more information

Google: Green Science Policywww.greensciencepolicy.org

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