"Stain-resistant, nonstick, waterproof and lethal" is how journalist Callie Lyons describes a highly fluorinated chemical called C8. This chemical leaked into the water supply near production facilities in West Virginia and Ohio. Hundreds of thousands of people were found to have C8 in their bodies and a wide range of health problems associated with this exposure.

But such exposure is not just a problem for people living near chemical plants. This affects all of us, because we are exposed to highly fluorinated chemicals like C8 from a variety of consumer products we commonly use, such as clothing, carpets, cosmetics, and more.

ECHA's scientific committees adopted a total of 61 positive draft or final opinions at their September meetings. These mainly concern the carcinogen chromium trioxide. The Committee's opinions evaluate the risks of continuing use, recommending strict conditions where necessary to limit exposure to workers. ...

In  September  ECHA's Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) adopted 25 final opinions which will be sent to the European Commission and a further 36 draft opinions that will now be sent to the applicants for their comments. A few of these opinions concern other substances of very high concern, which are also carcinogenic substances.

This batch of opinions also covers the largest application for authorisation reviewed so far, submitted by a consortium of importers of chromium trioxide -- called CTAC -- selling the substance to a substantial part of the European chrome plating industry.

This application covers practically all uses of chromium trioxide as a treatment applied to the surface of products (formulation, 'functional' and 'decorative' chrome plating, surface treatment and tin plating for the food sector). It covers a broad range of industry sectors, such as car manufacturing, aerospace, aeronautics but also the manufacture of metals and construction equipment. This application is thus made on behalf of a vast number of downstream users who will ultimately need to individually notify that they are covered by this authorisation.

The primary chemical law in the European Union, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals or REACH, has proposed adding six new substances of very high concern to its restricted substances list, according to Assent Compliance, an environmental compliance software as a service provider.

The six substances are:

The financial benefits of green building have been well established. Studies have repeatedly shown green building certification such as LEED and BREEAM lead to lower operating costs, such as reduced utility bills and lower total lifecycle costs.

Another business benefit: building owners report seeing a median increase of 7 percent in the value of their green buildings compared to traditional buildings.

So it's not that surprising that green building is outpacing overall construction growth in the US.

H&M, the world's second largest fashion retailer, has backed a European Commission proposal to restrict 286 carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) substances in textiles.

 
See report, "2016 Update: Minnesota Chemicals of High Concern List".