Monica Becker

Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children's Products: Limitations of Current Responses and Recommendations for Government and Industry

Hazardous substances in consumer products are a constant worry. Because children have less body mass and are developing rapidly, toxic chemicals in toys are of particular concern. Recent studies have revealed alarming levels of cadmium and lead in products intended for children and compounds in plastics, such as phthalates and bisphenol A, that are suspected of harmful effects. As Europe has introduced REACH and the U.S. is reviewing TSCA, regulators are confronting the issue, but an increasing global market poses problems of jurisdictional reach and supply chain management. In this Feature, Becker et al. review the situation and make recommendations on ways forward.

Toxic Substances in Articles: The Need for Information

The use of toxic chemicals in articles is a growing concern for public health and the environment. International trade results in substances being transported among regions. From toys and household items to electronic equipment and automobiles, toxic substances in articles are an increasingly important factor contributing to the global burden of toxic substances. Toxic substances in articles may pose threats at every stage of the product life cycle - production, use, and disposal or recycling. In this report, we consider a factor that is critical for the sound management of substances in articles: the availability of information. At present, there is no global system for provision of information about substances in a wide range of articles. First, the report describes the problem of toxic substances in articles, with detailed case studies of selected examples and considers the advantages that would result from better information management systems. Second, the report considers existing efforts to generate and disseminate information about substances in articles, both regulatory requirements and voluntary initiatives. Third, the report offers suggestions as to the questions and themes that would need to be considered in order to improve management of information about substances in articles.

Exploiting opportunities for pollution prevention in EPA enforcement agreements.

Two relatively new EPA policies encourage the inclusion of pollution prevention in regulatory enforcement settlements. The advantages to a firm include reduction or elimination of environmental problems at the source (thus decreasing reliance on end-of-pipe controls), enhanced prospects for future compliance, and a potential for a reduction in the assessed penalty. We discuss the factors that influence both EPA and firms to include pollution prevention in enforcement settlements, characterize the process in a few exemplary cases, and recommend ways to enhance and expand these activities. The research presented focused on case study analysis of 10 recent EPA-negotiated enforcement settlements that included chemical substitutions, process changes, or closed-loop recycling

Peer reviewed: massachusetts tries to cut toxic chemicals use.

An evaluation of statewide effort reveals toxic chemical use and waste generation have declined.