The Need for Chemical Simplification As a Logical Consequence of Ever-Increasing Chemical Pollution

FENNER, K. and Martin SCHERINGER. The Need for Chemical Simplification As a Logical Consequence of Ever-Increasing Chemical Pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. USA: AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2021, vol. 55, No 21, p. 14470-14472. ISSN 0013-936X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04903.

Basic information

• Original name: The Need for Chemical Simplification As a Logical Consequence of Ever-Increasing Chemical Pollution
• Authors: FENNER, K. and Martin SCHERINGER (756 Switzerland, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, USA, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2021, 0013-936X.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal (not reviewed)
• Field of Study: 10511 Environmental sciences
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 11.357
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/21:00124407
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04903
• UT WoS: 000714110200019
• Keywords in English: synthetic chemicals; chemical simplification; pollution; chemicals management; risk assessment
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

Widespread presence of synthetic chemicals throughout the natural environment, both abiotic and biotic, including humans, is a fact, and improved analytical techniques now demonstrate the presence of mixtures of hundreds, if not thousands, of synthetic chemicals and their transformation products in the environment. For most of these chemicals, data on their effects on humans, animals, or plants are missing. For the roughly 24 000 chemicals registered under REACh, for instance, the European Chemicals Agency recently reported that 88% of the dossiers reviewed in 2020 were incomplete, particularly with respect to long-term effects. Conversely, several prominent legacy compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, phthalates, or PFOA, have been intensely investigated and have been shown to affect multiple life functions, including reproduction. Accordingly, the chemical pollution problem is being considered as one of nine planetary boundary threats, yet the least well understood.