Business Concentrates AGRICULTURE
Dutch chemical plant under investigation Government to test residents living near former DuPont fluorochemicals facility Scrutiny of the potential health impact of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is extending into Europe. Dutch government officials are looking into past use of PFOA at a former DuPont plant near the city of Dordrecht, where the chemical was employed starting in 1970. Chemours inherited the plant when it spun off from DuPont last year. The Dutch government has ordered blood tests on Dordrecht residents to determine if
Residents living in Dordrecht will be tested for exposure to PFOA. there is a link between health problems and PFOA, which was formerly used to make fluorochemicals such as the nonstick material Teflon. PFOA can build up in the body and adversely affect the liver, impair the development of a fetus, and raise the risk of cancer. It is likely that local residents were chronically exposed to higher amounts of PFOA than is safe, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health & the Environment concluded
in a recent report. “People living in the direct neighborhood of the DuPont/Chemours factory in Dordrecht have been exposed to PFOA by air for many years,” the institute said. Dordrecht is Chemours’s largest production complex in Europe with more than 550 employees. The site also employs 350 DuPont staffers. Chemours continues to produce or blend fluorochemicals at the site. Chemours faces a series of legal cases in the U.S. relating to PFOA exposure from its plant in Parkersburg, W.Va. The firm says it will “vigorously defend” itself against PFOA lawsuits. In a separate case involving the Dordrecht plant, the Dutch TV program “EenVandaag” says it questioned 35 women who were involved in making spandex at the site. The program claims that 33 of them say they experienced fertility problems. A website for “EenVandaag” cites two Dutch chemists who point to potential exposure to N,N-dimethylacetamide, a solvent used in the production of spandex yarn. The European Chemicals Agency classifies the solvent as a substance of very high concern that “may damage the unborn child.” DuPont says it will not comment on individual cases but tells C&EN it listens to employee concerns and has scheduled a meeting with the Inspectorate SZW, a Dutch agency with oversight of workplace safety, to discuss issues around spandex production. DuPont sold the spandex plant in 2004; it closed down in 2006.—ALEX SCOTT
BY THE NUMBERS
$164 billion Chemical industry investment in the U.S. linked to plentiful shale gas and natural gas liquids, according to the American Chemistry Council. The money will go to 264 new facilities, expansions, and plant re-starts; 40% of the work is completed or under way, the trade association says.
12
C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | APRIL 18, 2016
Scotts nixes neonicotinoids Consumer lawn and garden care company Scotts Miracle-Gro says it will stop using neonicotinoid-based pesticides in its Ortho brand products because of concerns over honeybee health. It will remove imidacloprid, clothianidin, and dinotefuran from its offerings by 2017. “This decision comes after careful consideration regarding the range of possible threats to honeybees and other pollinators,” says Tim Martin, general manager of Ortho. “While agencies in the U.S. are still evaluating the overall impact of neonics on pollinator populations, it’s time for Ortho to move on.” EPA is conducting risk assessments of the pesticides and has temporarily stopped granting new permits for their use. Neonicotinoid pesticides were developed by Bayer in 1985 and promoted for their species specificity, relatively low toxicity, and effectiveness in small quantities. But concerns about colony collapses among honeybees and other pollinators have prompted researchers to study unintended effects on nonpest species. Bayer and other manufacturers defend the pesticides’ safety and use. A year ago, the retail chain Lowe’s said it would phase out products containing neonicotinoids. Last month, Maryland passed a bill banning consumers from purchasing the pesticides. Scotts says it is working with the Pollinator Stewardship Council, an advocacy group, to encourage the government to allow labeling of non-neonicotinoid products. Honeybee advocates hailed the announcement. “We are glad to see that Ortho is moving away from using these bee-toxic chemicals, and we hope that other garden and nursery companies will follow suit,” says Larissa Walker, pollinator program director at the Center for Food Safety.—MELODY BOMGARDNER
SHUTTERSTOCK (CANAL); SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO (PESTICIDE)
POLLUTION
