The document discusses the challenges of achieving a non-toxic environment and proposes key actions to develop a more sustainable chemicals policy. It notes that while regulations aim to keep chemical concentrations below toxic levels, biodiversity continues to decline and human exposures are rising. It argues for intensifying efforts like minimizing chemical releases, banning persistent chemicals, increasing green chemistry and monitoring. The goal is to ultimately reduce both ecological damage and human health impacts from chemicals in the environment.

1. Prof. Michael Depledge CBE DSc FRCP
EU ambitions for a non-toxic Environment:
Key actions for a sustainable chemicals policy
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/science-update/future-bio-based-chemicals-eu-bioeconomy

2. What are we actually trying to do?
Ensure that the concentrations of individual
chemicals released by our activities into the
environment, do not rise above concentrations
that are toxic to biota, including humans.
• Predictions based on structure and properties
• Toxicity testing and safety factors
• Regulations to ensure safe concentrations
• Monitoring for compliance
• At least 85,000 chemicals to consider
• Heavy metals, metalloids, synthetic organics,
pesticides, nutrients, microplastics, nanomaterials,
pharmaceuticals, radionuclides, etc.
• ca. 8-10 million species of animals and plants

3. Toxicity Evaluation Procedures

4. So whats the problem?
Doesn’t seem to be working!
• Biodiversity continues to be lost at alarming rates (chemicals are
implicated but are not the only factor)
• Alarming rise in human body burdens of diverse chemicals associated
with changing disease incidence
• Unable to accurately assess the integrated impact of toxic chemicals
(mixtures)
• Not addressing differing sensitivities of species
• Not measuring behavioural and ecological perturbations
• Not preventing the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistance.
• Dont understand impact of abiotic factors on chemical toxicity
(e.g. climate change) and biotic factors (sex, nutritional state,
changing distributions and ecologies)

5. Role of chemical toxicity?

6. Anthropogenic Chemicals in the Environment: what we know.
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/chemicals/2020/10/Strategy.pdf

7. What can we do differently?

9. • Substitution, including grouping of chemicals and measures to
support substitution
• Chemicals in products (articles) and non-toxic material cycles
• The improved protection of children and vulnerable groups from
harmful exposure to chemicals
• (Manage) Very persistent chemicals
• Policy means, innovation and competitiveness
• Programme on the development on new, non-/less toxic substances
• Early warning systems for examining a non-toxic environment that
is free of exposures to minimise and eliminate all exposures to
hazardous substances
Towards a non-toxic environment strategy
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/non-toxic/index_en.htm

10. Move towards a non-toxic environment
an aspiration…..

12. Key actions for a Sustainable Chemicals Policy
1. Agree a “vision” of an acceptable future, (still deciding…….)
2. Reduce and minimise releases of chemicals into the environment,
3. Remove from use chemicals that bioaccumulate,
4. Increase recycling and reuse of chemicals,
5. Use more green chemistry to manufacture greener chemicals,
6. Commit to combined chemical and wildlife monitoring,
7. Disincentivise pollution and penalise polluters.
8. Engage the public, politicians, policymakers and leaders in society

13. • Reduction and minimization of releases of chemicals into the environment. Existing
concentrations of chemicals are harming people, wildlife and ecosystems.
• Change of culture on use of chemicals. Make chemical use a last, not first, resort
• Removal from use chemicals that bioaccumulate. Chemicals that bioaccumulate may reach
thresholds in target species where they become toxic. Additionally, future generations become responsible for
pollution they did not discharge.
• Advances in chemical design are used to deliver active but non-accumulating
chemicals.
• Extended recycling and reuse of chemicals. Prevent accumulation of chemicals and waste in the
environment.
• Sale only of products and chemicals that can be recycled. Investment in technological
advances in processing waste.
• More green chemistry is used to manufacture greener chemicals. Advances will reduce
threats to ecosystem and human health by reducing bioaccumulation and toxicity. Ensure all chemicals in use are
easily degradable OR fully recyclable and environmental impacts considered when chemicals are designed.
• Commitment to combined chemical and wildlife monitoring. Give confidence to stakeholders
that policy measures are having detectable and beneficial impacts Commit to long-term integrated chemical and
biological monitoring with the results made public.
• Disincentivisation of pollution and penalise polluters Anticipated pollution consequences of
chemical use need to be discouraged. Unanticipated pollution damages need to be compensated. Legal and
financial deterrents should be aimed at pollution, and sanctions consistently imposed on polluters
• The public, policymakers and politicians are better informed. Increase awareness and build
support for tackling the issue.
Policy changes are required to ensure:We are doing all of these already!

14. A step change in
INTENSIFICATION OF EFFORT!
So what else ?

15. Trends in the use of green chemistry

16. RECYCLING

17. A Biomonitoring Revolution!
(measuring the right things, in the right place, at the right time)
• Air, water and sediment samples
• Biological samples (macro & micro fauna & flora)
• Biomarkers – sublethal effects – incl. behaviour.
• Population changes
• Process monitoring (trace elements, nutrients, etc.)
• Automated physico-chemical sensors
• Field ecologists – in situ assays and sample collection
• Biological sensors (satellites, drones, genetic analysis)
• Bioinformatics and Big Data
• Artificial Intelligence

18. FuturePast Present
Limited regulation Fragmented and reactive regulation
‘Do no harm’ regulation
Chemical production without consideration
of discharges or green chemistry
Chemical production with discharges
control and limited green chemistry
Chemical production has undergone a step
change in waste minimisation, discharge
control, ‘smart’ environmental monitoring,
Recycling, fully aligned with green chemistry
High environmental and human body
burdens of chemicals, severe ecological
damage, human deaths and diseases
Acute deaths declining, together with point
source pollution, body burdens and diffuse
chemicals pollution still increasing. Toxicity
.of complex mixtures an increasing threat
Declining ecological damage, reduced body
burdens and associated diseases in humans,
environmental burdens from chemicals
declining. Better management of mixture
toxicity
Changing approaches to chemicals management
Collins, C., Depledge, M.H. et al, 2019

19. Depledge, (1993) Ambio (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) Vol. 22. 51-53.
How can we know what is REALLY
happening in our ecosystems?

20. Ecotoxicology: the study of exposure to, and effects of,
anthropogenic chemicals and radiations on ecosystems
and their component organisms.
Depledge (1993)

21. https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/hazardous-substances-advisory-committee
Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee

24. Advanced materials (advanced polymers, biopolymers, porous
materials, particle systems, advanced fibres, composites and
metamaterials),
• Major information gaps on hazard, uses and exposures (> than for
nanomaterials).
• Assessing risks of AMs, even within a single grouping, is extremely
difficult (diversity of materials, combinations of several advanced
materials used at once),
• AMs is not a recognised regulatory term - used by commercial and
industry bodies to describe innovation.
• Challenges in relation to harmonisation (e.g.
management/regulation of advanced materials in medical products,
pharmaceuticals, REACH and food & packaging - no common
understanding of what AMs are and which pose potential risk)
Managing Advanced Materials

25. Other key issues beyond REACH
• Unintended consequences of substitution
• Generation of toxic chemicals in situ.
• Mixtures
• Lack of knowledge
How can we achieve a non-toxic environment
unless we address these issues?

26. Engaging the Public
(politicians and policymakers)
The strange case of microplastics
• Known about for years but only captured public attention fairly
recently (Attenborough, etc).
• Everybody wants plastic-free environment but “evidence of
harm” required before concerted action.
• WHO , SAPEA and others convene experts and produce
reports.
• Identified potential threats but an absence of critical evidence
prevents conclusion that harm is being (or will be) caused.
• Message to transmitted to the media - “microplastics do not
pose a threat to human health.”
Images; Avada Environmenta & Environmental Journal

29. The message SAPEA & WHO conveyed to the Media
What about the Precautionary Principle?

30. Future contamination?

31. A Future “Chemical Environment”.
• We want low risk body burdens of chemicals in humans throughout
the lifecourse (taking account of mixtures & genotypic vulnerability)
• And minimal toxicity to and disruptive effects on, plants, animals,
fungi and micro-organisms to protect biodiversity and ecosystem
services.
• Minimise release of chemicals into the environment
• Recognise and try to avoid integrated impacts of chemical exposures
across the lifecourse (heavy metals, industrial organic compounds, pesticides,
pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials, radionuclides, gases, particulates)
• Stop using persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals.
• INTENSIFY OUR EFFORTS !
• Ecotoxicological studies and intelligent monitoring of chemicals and
wildlife to see how we are doing.
• Dramatically increase awareness of environmental chemicals among
the public, policymakers, politicians and leaders in society.
Will this achieve what we want?