June 20, 2011 - IMM@BUCT

news of the weekJUNE 20, 2011 EDITED BY WILLIAM G. SCHULZ & SOPHIA L. CAIFORMALDEHYDE,STYRENE CANCERWARNINGTOXICOLOGY: Government listingtriggers outcry, applauseDESPITE FIERCE opposition from the chemicalindustry, formaldehyde and styrene have beenadded to a government warning list of knownand potentially carcinogenic compounds. Released onJune 10—four years late because ofthe opposition—the 12th Report onCarcinogens (RoC), compiled by theNational Toxicology Program (NTP)under the aegis of the Departmentof Health & Human Services (HHS),also adds six other substances toits list, which now contains 240compounds.HOHFormaldehydeThe listing of formaldehyde as a known carcinogenhas generated the most heat, with industry claimingthat evidence of its carcinogenicity is insufficient. Thecompound is predominantly used to make industrialresins, which are found in numerous consumer productsincluding composite wood, paper, plastics, andsynthetic fibers. It is also used as a disinfectant andantimicrobial agent.Environmental groups applauded HHS for finallyreleasing the report and not caving in to industry pressure.“The chemical industry has been fighting toothand nail” to prevent the report from being finalized,says Jennifer Sass, senior scientist with the NaturalResources Defense Council. “The public has a right toknow about the chemical risks that are foisted upon us.”Industry officials have fired back. “We are extremelydisappointed that HHS has moved forward with listingformaldehyde in its 12th RoC as a known human carcinogen,”Calvin M. Dooley, president and chief executiveofficer of the American Chemistry Council, a chemicalindustry trade group, said in a statement. HHS ignored apeer-reviewed National Research Council report that exoneratedformaldehyde as a human carcinogen, he said.Likewise, a styrene industry group has called theevidence for that compound’s potential carcinogenicity“scientifically unsupportable.” Threatening legalaction and continued advocacy against the NTP listing,the Styrene Information & Research Center has vowed“to get styrene removed from the RoC.”Styrene is a building block used to make the ubiquitouscompound polystyrene, which is found in food containers,toys, automobiles, carpet backings, house paints,ink cartridges, insulation, wood polish, adhesives, andother products. Styrene is also used to produce polyesterresins for making boats, bathtubs, shower stalls, andother glass-fiber-reinforced plastic products.It is unclear whether demand for styrene, which hasbeen declining in North America since 2004, will be furtheraffected by the NTP listing, according to LaurenceAlexander, a stock analyst with the investment firmJefferies & Co. “What matters most to styrene demandis whether the large brand owners, such as the fast-foodchains, react to the news” and decide to migrate awayfrom polystyrene-based food containers, such as coffeecups and takeout containers, he noted in a June 15 reportto clients.Although someNO 2leaching of styrenefrom consumer prod-Styreneo-Nitrotolueneucts that contain polystyrene does occur, human exposuresare “probably not very large,” said John R. Bucher,associate director at NTP, during a June 10 press briefing.“The evidence that we’ve used for listing styrene,” hesaid, “is largely from industrial situations.”Last month, 63 members of Congress wrote a letterto HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, urging that NTPdelay the styrene listing in the report until a “thoroughreview can be conducted that weighs the full body ofscientific evidence available to decision makers.” Thelawmakers warned that thousands of workers in theU.S. styrene industry might lose their jobs as a result.The other six substances added to the report arearistolochic acids, found in botanical products; captafol,a fungicide that is banned in the U.S.; cobalttungstencarbide, used in cutting and grinding tools;o -nitrotoluene, used in producing azo dyes; riddelliine,found in medicinal herbal products; and inhalable glasswool fibers. —BRITT ERICKSONFormaldehydefumes can beemitted fromcomposite woodused to buildhouses.SHUTTERSTOCKWWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG 11 JUNE 20, 2011