Policy Concentrates
AIR POLLUTION
RESEARCH FUNDING
U.S. agencies could cut researchers’ burdens The federal government can go further to reduce administrative burdens on research universities and scientists, congressional investigators say. Universities and researchers applying for or awarded federal grants must comply with a pile of requirements, from filing progress reports to preparing budgets. Federally funded principal investigators spend more than 40% of their time on average on administrative tasks, a national survey showed. The Government Accountability Office, Congress’s investigative arm, examined regulations from the White House Office of Management & Budget and the four top research funding agencies. GAO also talked with several universities and stakeholder organizations. Most regulations were originally designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to ensure federally funded research is effective. However, most people in the research community say excessive regulation now presents a substantial burden on research universities and scientists. Investigators found that the federal government has made some changes to reduce burdens, but more are still needed, GAO says in a report released on July 22. Specifically, agencies do not have uniform information collection requirements, the report explains. They often ask for information from every grant applicant that is only needed from award recipients. And they mandate how information should be collected rather than giving flexibility to universities. Changes in these areas “could help ensure agencies do not miss opportunities to reduce administrative workloads and costs,” the report concludes. The GAO investigation is the most recent move to reduce administrative burdens related to research. A National Academy of Sciences panel released a two-part report on its recommendations. Several bills pending before Congress attempt to address the problem.—ANDREA WIDENER
New York requires nail salon ventilation New York is requiring nail salons to meet ventilation standards designed to protect workers from hazardous chemicals wafting from polish and other nail products. Common components of polishes, polish removers, and nail hardeners include acetone, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, benzene, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride, the New York State Department of Health says in a report. Exposure to these substances has been linked to health problems, says the report, which was released in conjunction with new state regulations for nail salon ventilation. Some potential shortterm effects of exposure to these compounds include headaches, nausea, and skin irritation, the report says. Long-term exposure can affect the liver, kidneys, and nerAll nail salons in New York vous system. must meet the new ventilation The health department standard to protect workers by identified some 30 hazOctober 2021. ardous chemicals commonly found in nail products. Some of these, including acetone and toluene, were found to be elevated in salons when compared with nonindustrial settings such as homes and offices. In the report, the health department notes that its chemical list is not exhaustive because product formulations change frequently and bottles are often mislabeled. Starting in October, new nail salons in the state must meet the standard, which requires ventilation that exhausts vapors, fumes, dust, and other air contaminants from nail salon workstations. Existing nail salons will have until October 2021 to meet the standard. The state regulation follows a 2015 exposé by the New York Times that revealed substandard working conditions for nail salon employees.—JESSICA MORRISON
CHEMICAL REGULATION
Brazil has proposed requiring registration, evaluation, and control of commercial chemicals made or imported in the country. The country currently regulates pesticides, cleaning and disinfecting products, food additives, drugs, and cosmetics. But Brazil’s Environment Ministry estimates that 10,000 to 15,000 commercial chemicals are on the market in Brazil, free of government requirements. Newly proposed legislation is intended to reduce human health and environmental
14
C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | AUGUST 1, 2016
impacts from production, importation, and use of commercial substances in Brazil. The bill would require commercial substances that are produced or imported in Brazil, in amounts of at least 1 metric ton per year, to be placed on a National Register of Industrial Chemicals. Information required for registration would include the identity of the entities producing or importing the substance, Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number, annual quantity of production or importation, uses of the
chemical, and information about environmental and health hazards. Metals, minerals, pesticides, and radioactive substances would be exempt from the registration requirements. Drafted by the National Commission on Chemical Safety and proposed by the Environment Ministry, the legislation is undergoing public consultation. The draft legislation will be sent to Brazil’s Congress by the end of this year.—MEGHIE RODRIGUES,
special to C&EN
CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
Brazil proposes registration of chemicals
