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tsca
on february 22, 2024, the us environmental protection agency (epa) updated its toxic substances control act (tsca) inventory for the first half of 2024. the updated tsca inventory contains a total of 86,741 chemical substances, of which 42,293 are active. the latest update adds 23 new chemicals compared to the august 2023 inventory. the tsca inventory is updated biannually to keep chemical information current and accurate.
this new rule is scheduled to be effective 60 days after its publication. after that, its manufacturers or processors of the 329 pfas are required to seek epa review of the activity by submitting a snun to epa and complying with relevant applicable requirements.
on september 28, 2023, u.s environmental protection agency (epa) announced an important new rule under the toxic substances control act (tsca), requiring manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (pfas) to provide more data for better regulation. pfass are a large class of chemically stable organic fluorides known for their water and stain resistance, as well as good insulation. they find extensive use in various industrial sectors, including food packaging, electronics, leather and apparel, construction and household applications, firefighting, and medical supplies. however, pfass are persistent and migrate in the environment, making them difficult to degrade. they are also called persistent chemicals and have posed a significant threat to human health and the ecological environment.
in july 2023, the u.s. environmental protection agency (epa) issued the final rule on "toxic substances control act (tsca) requirements for asbestos reporting and records" which mandates specific companies to report relevant information on asbestos and asbestos-containing products (including as impurities) manufactured (including imports) or processed in the past four years.
in october 2021, the us epa developed a pfas strategic roadmap. in the absence of comprehensive federal legislation, several states are developing or updating their own pfas regulations. this article compiles the current regulatory situation.
according to the oecd, pfas are defined as any substance containing at least one perfluorinated methyl (cf3-) or methylene (-cf2-) carbon atom (with no h/cl/br/i attached to that carbon atom). pfas include thousands of synthetic chemicals such as perfluorooctanoic acid (pfoa) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (pfos). pfas have non-stick, oil-resistant, water-resistant, and grease-resistant properties. since the 1960s, pfas have been used in food contact substances (fcs) in the us, including cookware, food processing equipment (such as gaskets and o-rings), processing aids for other fcs (such as reducing buildup on manufacturing equipment), and food packaging (such as a grease-resistant coating).
the full name of tsca is the toxic substance control act, which was officially implemented on october 11, 1976. the act aims to comprehensively consider the environmental, economic and social impacts of chemical substances circulating in the united states. and prevent "unreasonable risks" to human health and the environment. after several revisions, it has now become the effective regulation of chemical substances in the united states. the hazardous substances final rule is based on tsca section 6 requirements that require epa to take expedited regulatory action to regulate persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (pbt) chemicals.
the u.s. environmental protection agency (epa) has issued a second round of test orders under section 4 of the toxic substances control act (tsca) to obtain additional data on eight of the next 20 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation. after reviewing reasonably available data on these chemicals, epa has determined additional data are needed and is using its tsca test order authority to require companies to develop and submit information on avian and aquatic environmental haz