Chemicals

The condition of Germany's rivers continues to improve. The Rhine and many other rivers have many more fish species than 30 years ago. Salmon – once virtually wiped out – are once again at home in German waters. Some stretches of the Danube have “good” to “very good” ecological status, rating best among all Germany’s rivers. There is still a need for action along the Weser and Ems rivers.

The German higher federal authorities responsible for human and environmental safety reviewed the joint research strategy "Nanotechnology - Risks related to Nanomaterials for Humans and the Environment ".

Antibiotics used in livestock breeding and in human medicine can find their way into groundwater says a recent study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). Maria Krautzberger, President of UBA, commented: "Groundwater must stay clean. This is the reason why the German Environment Agency has issued a recommendation for a threshold for antibiotics in groundwater."

Until now, with few exceptions, there are no specific provisions for nanomaterials within the substance legislations. As a result, specific environmental risks cannot be described and assessed adequately. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to outline the necessary further development of chemi¬cals regulations for nanomaterials with regard to the environment from UBA´s perspective.

After Dresden, Moscow, Ottawa, Foz do Iguaçu and Durban, the IUPAC Green Chemistry Conferences Series moves to Italy; the Sixth Event will be held in Venice on 4th-8th September 2016.

A victory for environmental protection: Cybutryn, better known by its trade name Irgarol®, may no longer be used as the active substance in antifouling products on boat hulls after 27 January 2017.

Since 27 December 2015 consumer goods may no longer exceed a very low content of eight carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). A threshold of 0.5 mg/kg applies for toys and baby items. Other rubber or plastic products such as gardening gloves or mouse pads may contain no more than 1 mg/kg.

In its 5-point programme of sustainable plant protection the German Environment Agency (UBA) urges rethinking plant protection in agricultural practice.

Chemicals enter the environment every day, but there is hardly a substance group that is used with more purpose and in such large amounts than plant protection products.

How do pharmaceuticals get into the environment? Can residues of pharmaceuticals in water and soil harm plants, animals or even human health? What is being done to prevent this, and what can I do? The Federal Environment Agency’s background paper, which is now also available in English, sheds light on these and other questions surrounding the topic of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

More than half of the registration dossiers governed by the European REACH Regulation are not compliant with at least one of the seven screened data requirements, for example information on mutagenicity. These are the conclusions of a study carried out by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA).

Biocidal products must be used wisely to avoid harming humans and the environment. UBA has compiled a set of measures how to achieve that goal.