CCME has initiated a public comment period on new guidance for site characterization in support of HHRA and ERA.

The draft Manual for Environmental Site Characterization in Support of Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment, Volume I Guidance Manual, Volume II Checklists, and Volume III Suggested Operating Procedures is now available for public review and comment until November 30, 2012.

The manual documents are available in English and French.

• Volume I:  Guidance Manual
• Volume II:  Checklists
• Volume III: Suggested Operating Procedures

Volume IV Compendium of Analytical Methods for Contaminated Sites from Existing Methods is being revised and will be posted for public review when available.

For further information on the comment period and to download the draft documentation, click here. 

Intrinsik is encouraged that during these times of austerity budgets Health Canada is undertaking this study. We will be providing our comments to Health Canada on their study design in the coming weeks. Intrinsik welcomes any Canadian based research that will add to our understanding of this issue. We do not believe that a moratorium is warranted while the study is underway given the findings in Europe over the past decade.

The following consumer products were recently recalled due to toxicological and/or labelling violations in Canada, the United States or Europe:

Canada

None

United States

None

Europe

The sale of “Plastic strings - Interwoven Toys” was banned and consumers warned of risks due to the presence of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP and DBP are prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see number 12 in the following table.

The toys “Toy plastic duck”, “Baby Doll – Yong”, and “Baby Doll - Beautiful Girl” were withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities due to the presence of DBP and/or DEHP. According to the REACH Regulation, DBP and DEHP are prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see numbers 21, 22, and 23 in the following table.

The import of protective equipment “Work gloves - Silver 2” was rejected at the border due to the presence of nitrobenzene, which is a toxic substance. Nitrobenzene can be absorbed into the body by inhalation or through the skin. The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Directive.

For more details, please see number 24 in the following table.

The toy “Key-ring plastic toy” was recalled from end users due to the presence of DEHP. According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see number 27 in the following table.

The marketing of product “Ladies’ shoes” was banned due to the levels of Chromium (VI) and dimethylformamide. Chromium (VI) is classified as sensitising and may trigger allergic reactions.

For more details, please see number 10 in the following table.

The toys “Plastic toy” and “Plastic doll with bottle” were either banned from marketing or withdrawn from the market due to the presence of DEHP. According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see numbers 21 and 65 in the following table.

Marketing a consumer product in the U.S., Canada or Europe? Intrinsik can help ensure that the product meets the toxicological and labelling standards for your jurisdiction. Contact us at 905-364-7800 ext 216 for more information.

The following consumer products were recently recalled due to toxicological and/or labelling violations in Canada, the United States or Europe:

Canada

None

United States

The product “Recliner Chair” was recalled due to excessive levels of lead which is prohibited under federal law.

For more details on this recall, please see the following link.

Europe

The clothing “Socks ‘Elegante Berufssocke’ (elegant dress socks)” was voluntarily recalled due to the levels of azo dyes releasing 64, 75 and 76 mg/kg respectively of dimethoxybenzidine. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 17 in the following table.

The cleaning products “Badkamer cleaner extra krachtig” and “Power cleaner extra krachtig” were either withdrawn from the market or banned from sale by authorities due to insufficient and incorrect labelling for acidic solutions that are corrosive. The products do not comply with the Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), with the Dangerous Preparations Directive (1999/45/EC).

For more details, please see numbers 22 and 23 in the following table.

The cleaning product “Power Kitchen kleaner product -Keukenreiniger extra krachtig” was withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities due to insufficient and incorrect labelling for the concentration of sodium hydroxide. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), with the Dangerous Preparations Directive (1999/45/EC).

For more details, please see number 24 in the following table.

The toy “Scoubidou – Rainbow” was voluntarily withdrawn from the market due to the presence of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see number 1 in the following table.

The product “Thermos flask: Termo” was withdrawn from the market ordered by the due to the presence of asbestos fibres. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 6 in the following table.

The chemical product “Glue” was voluntarily withdrawn from the market and recalled from consumers by the importer due to the level of chloroform. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 8 in the following table.

Marketing a consumer product in the U.S., Canada or Europe? Intrinsik can help ensure that the product meets the toxicological and labelling standards for your jurisdiction. Contact us at 905-364-7800 ext 216 for more information.

The following consumer products were recently recalled due to toxicological and/or labelling violations in Canada, the United States or Europe:

Canada/United States

The products “Cryofreeze ice/hot packs” and “Arctic Zone ice packs” were recalled due to the presence of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol which can cause illness if ingested in large amounts.

For more details on these recalls, please see the here and here.

Europe

The import of jewellery “Earrings and necklace” and “Ring” was rejected by the customs authorities due to the level of cadmium.  The products do not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see numbers 2 and 8 in the following table.

The import of the product “Scarf” was rejected by the customs authorities due to the presence of banned azocolourants, which does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 22 in the following table.

The import of the toy “Music Blocks” was rejected by customs and the sale of the toy “Magically beautiful girl” was banned ordered by authorities due to the presence of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see numbers 23 and 28 in the following table.

The toy “Doll - Princess” was banned from sale due to the presence of DEHP and di-isononyl-phthalate (DINP). According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles, while DINP is prohibited when the toy or childcare article can be placed in the mouth by children.

For more details, please see number 34 in the following table.

The import of toy “Police play set” was rejected by the customs authorities due to the presence of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), DEHP, and DINP. According to the REACH Regulation, DBP and DEHP are prohibited in all toys and childcare articles, while DINP is prohibited when the toy or childcare article can be placed in the mouth by children.

For more details, please see number 8 in the following table.

The toy “Beauty A fashion beautiful” was withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities due to the presence of DEHP, DINP, and di-isodecyl-phthalate (DIDP). According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles, while DINP and DIDP are prohibited when the toy or childcare article can be placed in the mouth by children.

For more details, please see number 22 in the following table.

The toys “Doll – Elegant girl – Prettiness girl” and “Doll – Fashionable” were withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities, and “Doll set” voluntarily withdrawn from the market and recalled from consumers by the importer due to the presence of DEHP. According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see numbers 23 and 28 in the following table and number 15 in the following table.

The toy “Plastic doll ‘Baby’” was banned from sale and withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities due to the presence of DEHP and DBP. According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP and DBP are prohibited in all toys and childcare articles.

For more details, please see number 29 in the following table.

The toy “”Bubble baby” was banned from sale and withdrawn from the market ordered by authorities due to the presence of DEHP and DINP. According to the REACH Regulation, DEHP is prohibited in all toys and childcare articles, while DINP is prohibited in toys or childcare articles that can be placed in the mouth by children.

For more details, please see number 30 in the following table.

The chemical product “Super glue” was withdrawn from the market and recalled from consumers ordered by the authorities due to the level of chloroform. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 34 in the following table.

The products “Wire Free Sky Lanterns”, “Sky lantern: DeLuxe White Sky Lantern Eco Wedding Pack”, and “White Sky Lanterns” were voluntarily withdrawn from the market due to the presence of chrysotile asbestos fibres. These products do not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 45 in the following table, number 14 in the following table, and number 19 in the following table.

The import of jewellery “Glowing earrings” was rejected by the customs authorities due to the level of nickel released. The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

For more details, please see number 13 in the following table.

The toys “Balloons – Happy Party” and “Balloons – Round 8 balloons” were voluntarily withdrawn from the market/consumers due to the presence of nitrosamines. The products do not comply with the Toys Safety Directive.

For more details, please see numbers 28 and 31 in the following table.

Marketing a consumer product in the U.S., Canada or Europe? Intrinsik can help ensure that the product meets the toxicological and labelling standards for your jurisdiction. Contact us at 905-364-7800 ext 216 for more information.

Dr. Loren Knopper, a senior scientist at Intrinsik Environmental Sciences, has recently been appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo.

Congratulations Loren!

Ruth Hull, a Senior Scientist in the Intrinsik Mississauga office, will be participating in the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) Chemicals Management Forum on May 15-16 in San Antonio, Texas.  She will be speaking in two sessions: Transparency, Risk Communication & Stakeholder Engagement; and, Fostering Innovative Approaches to Promote Sustainability. 

For more information, contact Ruth at rhull@intrinsik.com or visit the CEC website at www.cec.org.

Dr. Loren Knopper, a senior scientist at Intrinsik Environmental Sciences, will be giving a seminar on the importance of biology in ecological risk assessment (ERA) to the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists on Tuesday, May 29th, 2012, at the Husky Conference Centre in Calgary, Alberta.  Loren will be discussing the theory behind the practice of ERA, go over the main components of ERA and introduce the concept, and show the utility of biomarkers/biomonitoring in ERA.  The intrinsic value of having biologists involved in the ERA process will be highlighted.

For more information on the seminar click here, or contact Loren at lknopper@intrinsik.com. 

Dr. Jon Daniels, Executive Vice President and Principal Toxicologist for Intrinsik Health Sciences Inc., will be speaking at a training course entitled “Toxicology for Industrial and Regulatory Scientists”.  The workshop, developed by the American College of Toxicology, will take place April 23-27, 2012, in Falls Church, VA.

The title of Dr. Daniels’ lecture will be General Toxicology and he will be presenting the principles of general (descriptive) toxicology testing, such as species selection, setting dose levels, and interpretation of results, and how these principles are applied in nonclinical product development and used to support regulatory initiatives.

For further information, you can download the course brochure here, or contact Dr. Daniels at jdaniels@intrinsik.com.

Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. has an immediate opening for a junior to intermediate scientific position as an Environmental Risk Analyst in our Calgary office. 

We aim to offer our employees an environment that encourages professionalism, creativity, independence and continual learning. The assets of any knowledge-based company are its people, and we believe strongly in investing in those assets by offering training and mentoring of our staff. Like all modern successful organizations, we are committed to growing and advancing our employees’ careers by providing them with new responsibilities and opportunities within the company.

The position would involve providing support to intermediate and senior environmental risk assessors (both human health and ecological), in the following areas:

• Review of site characterization data pertaining to air, soils, groundwater and surface water;
• Screening of analytical chemistry data against regulatory guidelines;
• Critical review of scientific information and preparation of toxicological profiles; and,
• Risk modelling and statistical treatment of the data, using spreadsheets and computer models.

Ideally, the successful applicant would have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor or Masters Degree in biological sciences or chemistry, preferably in toxicology.
• Diversity in base knowledge (statistics, biology, ecology, mathematics).
• Candidates should be able to demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills in combination with a facility for technical detail.
• Familiarity with common computer programs is expected, and proficiency in computer programming and modeling would be an asset. 
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team (with in-house and external experts).
• Ability to multi-task (multiple projects/issues) and react to changing situations. /time management).

Please submit your CV in confidence to Mary-Ann Gaitan, Office Administrator at mgaitan@intrinsik.com.