Safer Chemicals Podcast

Tattoos are a popular form of body art – at least 12 % of Europeans have them. In the 18-35 age group, twice as many are likely to have a tattoo.

The health risks of using dirty needles to inject the inks have been under scrutiny for a long time. Now, their chemical-related concerns have also been analysed and their risks have been regulated at the EU level.

To protect European citizens, thousands of hazardous chemicals found in tattoo inks and permanent make-up are restricted in the EU under the REACH Regulation from January 2022.

The restriction covers, for example, chemicals that cause cancer or genetic mutations and chemicals that are toxic to reproduction as well as skin sensitisers and irritants.

In this episode, you will be hearing from a toxicologist, dermatologist, and tattoo artist who talk about the negative health effects of harmful chemicals used in inks and how restricting their use impacts the tattooing and permanent make-up industry.

Full episode transcript 

Give us feedback

More

**************
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our Safer Chemicals Podcast
Subscribe to our news

Follow us on:
*Twitter
*Facebook
*LinkedIn

Visit our website

Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

A recent study has looked at product lifecycles, waste recycling and the circular economy for nanomaterials. Its findings show that we don’t currently have a full picture of how nanomaterials in products – and consequently in waste streams – may impact our health or the environment.

These knowledge gaps make it difficult to know how to recycle, treat or dispose of nanomaterials efficiently once products containing them are no longer used and become waste.  

In this episode, we speak with two experts from the European Chemicals Agency. Abdel Sumrein is the Product manager for the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) and Gary Watkins works as a Regulatory Officer in the Support and Enforcement Unit. We will discuss ECHA’s views on the study results and what more can be done to improve information on nanomaterials in waste streams.   

The study was commissioned by the EUON and made by RPA Europe.

Give us feedback

More

**************
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our Safer Chemicals Podcast
Subscribe to our news

Follow us on:
*Twitter
*Facebook
*LinkedIn

Visit our website

Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

When companies apply to get their biocidal active substances approved or have their biocidal products authorised across the whole EU, it is the Biocidal Products Committee that checks them and forms an opinion on the applications. The opinions are then sent to the European Commission which takes the final decision on the applications. 

In this episode, we interview Erik van de Plassche, Chair of ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee. We focus on the October meeting of the committee which covered, for example, nine cases for Union authorisations. In addition, the committee discussed its future workload, upcoming guidance on analysing alternatives, and several applications for active substance approvals.

Give us feedback

Biocidal Products Committee

**************
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our Safer Chemicals Podcast
Subscribe to our news

Follow us on:
*Twitter
*Facebook
*LinkedIn

Visit our website

Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The SCIP database aims to improve transparency on the use of substances of very high concern (SVHCs), also known as Candidate List substances, in all products on the EU market. It can help consumers to make more informed purchasing choices and waste operators to further develop the re-use of articles and the recycling of materials. It can also be seen as a driver for substitution to get these extremely hazardous substances out from products, wherever possible.

In this episode, we interview Kevin Pollard from the European Chemicals Agency. Kevin is Head of the Exposure and Supply Chain Unit which is the core unit for ECHA’s SCIP implementation. We talk about what the SCIP database is, who can benefit from it and what information can be found there.

Give us feedback

More

**************
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our Safer Chemicals Podcast
Subscribe to our news

Follow us on:
*Twitter
*Facebook
*LinkedIn

Visit our website

Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

In this episode, we talk with Hans Steinkellner from the European Food Safety Authority. Hans has been involved in EFSA’s scientific opinion on lead in food and was in Helsinki to share their findings.

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

We met with Dr. David Scallan from the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation to hear their views on the restriction. FACE represents 7 million hunters in Europe.

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

In this episode, we interview Philip Taylor, technical director of ELEY limited. ELEY manufactures ammunition for a variety of different types of shooting from hunting to precision sports shooting. Their products are used by shooters at club, world, and Olympic levels. Philip gives the manufacturing industry’s perspective on alternatives to lead ammunition.

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Ruth Cromie from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to share her views on the restriction of lead ammunition in hunting.

According to their website, WWT is a UK-based conservation charity that protects wetlands for wildlife and people. Ruth manages their ecosystem health unit that carries out a variety of different activities including surveillance for emerging and priority wetland diseases such as avian influenza and lead poisoning. They also carry out advocacy work to try and persuade shooters to use non-toxic ammunition.

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

We met with Nina Mikander from the UN environment program's AEWA secretariat.

AEWA is short for the agreement on the conservation of African Eurasian migratory water birds. It is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation of migratory water birds and their habitats across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian archipelago. The European Union has become a contracting party to AEWA as of 1 January 2021. 

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level.

We interviewed representatives from different organisations during an event organised by ECHA where stakeholders shared their views on a potential restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting.

In this episode, we interview Mr. Niels Kastrup from the Danish Academy of Hunting.

Niels is first and foremost a hunter and his insight is based on the real-life experience of hunting in Denmark where there has been a total ban of lead in all shooting for the past 20 years.

Give us feedback

Watch our documentary video on the topic

More

• Lead in shots, bullets, and fishing weights: what is the EU doing?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In 2019, inspectors and customs officers in 16 EU countries carried out a project to check around 1 400 imported products. Nearly 1 in 4 products violated EU chemical safety laws.

We interviewed Maria Orphanou, an inspector from Cyprus and the Chair of the Forum Working Group, Erwin Annys, ECHA's Head of Unit for Support and Enforcement activities as well as Miquel Aguado from the European Commission who discuss the findings of the report and give tips for consumers on how to avoid buying dangerous good and for companies on how to make sure they are importing safe products into the EU.

Give us feedback

Watch this episode on video

More

• Full report
• Are imported products safe?
• Video: Are imported products safe?

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Interview with Peter Van Der Zandt, ECHA's Director of Risk Management about the restriction proposal for perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS) and intentionally-added microplastics.

The European Union is looking into restricting the use of intentionally added microplastics in products, small particles that create big problems, and PHFxS (and related substances) that belong to the PFAS family, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their ability to stay in the environment for a very long time.

Both restrictions were discussed by the Committees for Risk Assessment and for Socio-Economic Analysis in their June 2020 meetings and this podcast explains the outcome.

Give us feedback

Watch this episode on video

More

• More about microplastics
• More about PFAS
• Video: The problem with microplastics

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Interview with Bjorn Hansen, ECHA's Executive Director about poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They are manufactured chemicals widely used since the 1940s to produce many different consumer products.

Tests show some of them can cause serious health effects such as cancer and liver damage. The good news is that the EU is taking action to reduce their use.

Where exactly are they used, what are the concerns and what is the EU doing about them? Listen to our podcast to find out.

Give us feedback

Watch this episode on video

More

• Why we care about forever chemicals and why you should too
• More about PFAS

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Interview with Karine Fiore, Regulatory and Socio-Economic Projects Manager from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) about France's intention to propose a restriction of PAHs, furans, dioxins, PCBs and formaldehyde in single-use nappies for infants and children.

Give us feedback

More

• Webinar: call for evidence on possible restriction of substances of concern in single-use nappies for infants and children

--------------------
Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.