Friday, January 3, 2025
Thursday, January 2, 2025
International Analytical Chemistry Awards | 27-28 January 2025 | Netherl...
4th Edition of International Analytical Chemistry Awards
The International Analytical Chemistry Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and innovations in the field of analytical chemistry. These prestigious awards recognize the contributions of researchers, educators, and practitioners who have significantly advanced the discipline through their work. The awards highlight excellence in various categories, including method development, instrumentation, applications, and impactful research that addresses global challenges. By promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing, the International Analytical Chemistry Awards aim to inspire future generations of scientists and elevate the importance of analytical chemistry in research, industry, and society.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Toxic chemicals from food production pass into the human body
A new study has found that more than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during manufacturing, processing, packaging, and storage end up in the human body – and some are linked to serious health issues.
Martin Wagner is a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim who was not involved in the research.
“This is a staggering number and shows that food contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans,” Wagner told CNN.
“The study is the first to systematically link the chemicals we use in materials to package and process foods to human exposure.”
Cancer-causing food chemicals
Published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the study identified 79 food-processing chemicals found in the body that are known to cause cancer, genetic mutations, endocrine and reproductive issues, and other health concerns.
Senior study author Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum – a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland – emphasized that many more chemicals may be harmful in ways science has yet to determine. “We’re measuring not only the chemicals that were known to be used in the food manufacturing process, but all the gunk as well – the byproducts and impurities that we call non-intentionally added substances,” said Muncke.
“Those substances are always present in plastic, in can and package coatings, in printing inks and so on. They may not have a technical function in the food processing, but they are there regardless and migrating into people, and we measure them.”
Chemical regulation and food safety
The American Chemistry Council, an industry association, responded by stating that its members are dedicated to food safety. “It is essential, however, when assessing potential risks to consider a broader context, including existing regulatory frameworks, scientific evidence, and the actual levels and degree of exposure that may exist,” said a council spokesperson. “Any proposed actions lacking this context, particularly when causality has not been definitively established, is inconsistent with risk-based U.S. chemical regulation laws.”
Muncke pointed out that while food contact materials may comply with current government regulations, the study highlights that these chemicals may not be fully safe. “We don’t know exactly what the amount is that’s been used in food packaging or other food contact materials versus the amount that’s being used for cosmetics, personal care products, textiles, and so on and so forth, right? I would like to have that information,” said Muncke. “I think it would be fantastic to make it a regulatory requirement for companies to declare how much and what type of chemicals they are putting into my food or plastic water bottle.”
Bisphenol A exposure
One chemical detected in both food and the human body is bisphenol A, or BPA, which was used to create baby bottles, sippy cups, and infant formula containers until concerned parents boycotted those products more than a decade ago. BPA is an endocrine disruptor linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children. In adults, it has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer, and a 49% higher risk of early death within 10 years. Bisphenol A can leach into food from the linings of canned foods, polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, and water bottles, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Forever chemicals in food materials
“The study also shows that food contact materials can contain mutagenic chemicals that harm our DNA, such as heavy metals,” Wagner said. “There is strong evidence that humans are exposed to PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, from food packaging that are very persistent, bioaccumulate, and cause organ toxicity.” Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. These hormone-disrupting chemicals are so concerning that in July 2022, the Academies set “nanogram” levels of concern and called for testing of high-risk individuals, including infants and older adults.
Additional chemicals in food packaging
Another chemical group in food packaging that has migrated into people is phthalates, the research revealed. Found in shampoo, makeup, perfume, children’s toys, and food containers, phthalates have been linked to genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys, as well as lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males.
Previous studies have also associated phthalates with childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular issues, cancer, and premature death in people aged 55 to 64. In the new study, researchers compared 14,000 chemicals known to come into contact with food during the packaging process with worldwide databases that monitor human exposure to potential chemical toxins. All the research data has been uploaded to an open database for scientific use.
“We’ve got, say, 60 years of research into the migration of chemicals into food from food processing and packaging equipment. It’s been studied very extensively,” Muncke said. “And at the same time, there’s increasingly good, powerful studies coming out on Bisphenol A, on phthalates, on PFAS, brominated flame retardants and so forth that are associated with diseases in people.”
Tracking chemicals in the human body
What was lacking in the literature was a comparison between what was found in people and the chemicals known to migrate into food during processing.
To connect the dots, Muncke and her colleagues looked at national and regional biomonitoring databases that track chemicals in human blood, urine, breast milk, tissue samples, and other biomarkers.
For the study, researchers used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which gathers yearly health and nutrition data on Americans, as well as other databases.
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Award Information - International Analytical Chemistry Awards
Welcome to the International Analytical Chemistry Awards - International Analytical Chemistry Awards, a premier event in the realm of International Analytical Chemistry Awards. Here's what you need to know about this exciting Award :
- Theme: The theme for International Analytical Chemistry Awards is "Sustainable International Analytical Chemistry Awards for a Connected Future."
- Hybrid Event: International Analytical Chemistry Awards is an innovative hybrid event, offering two dynamic ways to participate.
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Thursday, December 26, 2024
Generic platinum chemotherapy shortages did not increase deaths
During a shortage of the generic platinum chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and carboplatin that began in early 2023, there was no difference in mortality rates among patients with advanced cancer compared to the previous year, and prescription rates for the two drugs fell less than 3% overall—and 15.1% at the peak—according to an analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center.
Cisplatin and carboplatin—which have been approved for more than 30 years—are widely used to treat a variety of cancers, including lung, head and neck, breast, bladder, ovarian, uterine, and testicular cancers. When the FDA announced a shortage of cisplatin in February 2023, followed by a shortage of carboplatin in April 2023, it drew attention to the ongoing challenge of generic drug shortages, and prompted major national oncology societies to recommend best practices for priority use and alternative medicines.
“At the time, national surveys showed that most cancer centers in the U.S. were reporting shortages of these platinum chemotherapies, but it wasn’t clear how the shortages were actually affecting patients,” says lead author Jacob B. Reibel, a third-year fellow in Hematology-Oncology. “When we looked at the data on prescribing practices over the shortage period, compared to the previous year, we found that although reporting of the shortages was widespread, it didn't affect as many patients as we had feared.”
The researchers hypothesized that the limited impact on mortality was likely due to the use of effective alternative medications recommended by medical societies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapy or other forms of chemotherapy. The study did not assess the potential drawbacks of alternative medications, including the financial burden of more expensive non-generic alternatives and side effects of different drugs.
“We always want to prioritize the best treatments that we have for patients, and platinum chemotherapies just happen to also be very cost-effective because they’re generic and have been around for decades,” says senior author Ronac Mamtani, section chief of genitourinary cancers. “While the alternative options may be effective, we want to be able to provide the ‘standard-of-care’ medications to any patient in need. Even 100 patients who can’t get the preferred chemotherapy for their cancer type due to supply chain issues is far too many.”
Award Information - International Analytical Chemistry Awards
Welcome to the International Analytical Chemistry Awards - International Analytical Chemistry Awards, a premier event in the realm of International Analytical Chemistry Awards. Here's what you need to know about this exciting Award :
- Theme: The theme for International Analytical Chemistry Awards is "Sustainable International Analytical Chemistry Awards for a Connected Future."
- Hybrid Event: International Analytical Chemistry Awards is an innovative hybrid event, offering two dynamic ways to participate.
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
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