11.10.14
A New York Times opinion piece published online on Nov. 9 and in the Nov. 10 print edition questions FDA's and EPA's regulatory efforts and cites chemicals including triclosan and triclocarban as examples of why an overhaul is needed.
The article, authored by Rolf U. Halden of the Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State and Robert S. Lawrence of the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins, is entitled “Making Chemistry Green.”
The authors cite FDA’s 40 years of “wrestling” with triclosan as an example of why there’s need to “reform the nation’s regulatory system and manufacturing approach for chemicals.”
After analysis of 143,000 peer-reviewed research papers to track the progress of what the authors call “chemicals of emerging concern,” the duo found that it “takes around 14 years from the point at which safety issues are raised about a chemical before scientists’ concern peaks and regulators act,” it states in the article.
Halden and Lawrence suggest that chemicals should be regulated in groups, rather than on compound at time, and that regulations “should also encourage industry to make products from benign or ‘green’chemicals. These are composed of basic, ubiquitous building blocks, not ones that are rare in nature and incompatible with biodegradation. Safer options are feasible and available.”
The article, authored by Rolf U. Halden of the Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State and Robert S. Lawrence of the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins, is entitled “Making Chemistry Green.”
The authors cite FDA’s 40 years of “wrestling” with triclosan as an example of why there’s need to “reform the nation’s regulatory system and manufacturing approach for chemicals.”
After analysis of 143,000 peer-reviewed research papers to track the progress of what the authors call “chemicals of emerging concern,” the duo found that it “takes around 14 years from the point at which safety issues are raised about a chemical before scientists’ concern peaks and regulators act,” it states in the article.
Halden and Lawrence suggest that chemicals should be regulated in groups, rather than on compound at time, and that regulations “should also encourage industry to make products from benign or ‘green’chemicals. These are composed of basic, ubiquitous building blocks, not ones that are rare in nature and incompatible with biodegradation. Safer options are feasible and available.”