Policy Concentrates PUBLIC HEALTH WATER
▸ EPA sets chronic exposure limit for PFOA Water utilities should notify consumers when perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exceed 70 parts per trillion—individually or combined—in drinking water, under new guidelines released on May 19 by the Environmental Protection Agency. The long-awaited advisory aims to reduce chronic exposures to the persistent fluorochemicals in drinking water. Environmental groups, which have long been pushing EPA to set a limit for the fluorochemicals in drinking water, are disappointed that the advisory is only voluntary. The agency “highlights the fact that this is a chemical that you do not want in your water or the environment,” says David Andrews, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, an environmental advocacy organization. “But we think [EPA] could have taken a bigger step to protect public health,” he adds. The chemicals, which were used to manufacture iconic household brands such as DuPont’s Teflon and 3M’s Scotchgard, persist indefinitely in the environment and have been linked to disease in humans. More than a decade ago, the fluorochemical industry pledged to end production of PFOA and PFOS by 2015. EPA says the companies have met their stewardship commitments.—JESSICA MORRISON
REGULATION
CREDIT: JAMES GATHANY
▸ White House changes to overtime pay affect most postdocs President Barack Obama’s Administration last week raised the bar to require overtime pay for more workers. Starting Dec. 1, overtime pay will be required for those who work more than 40 hours a week if they make less than $47,476, up from $23,660. The changes exempt many workers in higher education, especially those whose primary role is teaching or interacting with students. That means professors, graduate students, undergraduates, and most administrators are not subject to the overtime rules. But the rules will require overtime for most
Congress moves on emergency Zika funding U.S. lawmakers are one step closer to providing money to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. But they still don’t agree on how much money should be spent. The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would provide $622.1 million in aid to combat Zika for the remainder of fiscal 2016. The money would be offset primarily by unused funds intended for work on the Ebola virus. The Senate meanwhile passed its own $1.1 billion emergency Zika funding plan last week as an amendment to two unrelated 2017 appropriations bills that were combined. The Senate plan does not require ▸ House of Representatives: $622 million offsets. President Barack ▸ Senate: $1.1 billion Obama has threatened to veto ▸ President Obama: $1.9 billion the House measure, calling it “woefully inadequate.” Earlier this year, Obama urged Congress to pass a $1.9 billion Zika package.—
How much money should go to fight the Zika virus?
BRITT ERICKSON
postdoctoral researchers, especially those in chemistry or other sciences who are engaged in research full-time. Many universities have opposed the proposal as burdensome because it would require labs to track postdocs’ hours and pay overtime. The National Institutes of Health responded by saying it would increase its required postdoc wage to above the overtime threshold. In response to the original overtime proposal in August, the National Postdoctoral Association reiterated its call for postdoc salaries to start at $50,000.—
ANDREA WIDENER
INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
▸ EU tightens limits on exposure to carcinogens To increase on-the-job safety, the European Commission has proposed new occupational exposure limits for 13 cancer-causing chemicals. The commission, the European Union’s executive arm, says
a 2004 directive on workplace safety is “outdated” and “not in line with scientific evidence.” New EU-wide exposure limits will also establish a “level playing field” for all companies operating in the 28-member-nation bloc, the commission adds. The 13 carcinogens covered by the proposal are 1,2-epoxypropane, 1,3-butadiene, 2-nitropropane, acrylamide, bromoethylene, chromium(VI) compounds, ethylene oxide, hardwood dusts, hydrazine, o-toluidine, respirable crystalline silica, refractory ceramic fibers, and vinyl chloride monomer. The new limits set a maximum concentration for the presence of each substance in workplace air. The European Chemical Industry Council supports the proposal: “The protection of workers and enhancing health and safety in the workplace is a key priority,” says Marco Mensink, the trade association’s director general. EU-wide binding exposure limits will provide “added value” to voluntary programs the industry has put in place to reduce worker exposure to carcinogens, Mensink says.—GLENN HESS, special to
C&EN MARCH 23, 2016 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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