EPA May Crack Down on Four Chemicals Found in Household Products
This is the first such crackdown in over 30 years More than 80,000 chemicals are used or produced in the U.S., and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed restrictions or bans on just five. But the agency signaled its intent at the end of last year to possibly add restrictions to four chemicals that are widely used in making products such as toys, household items and medical equipment, according to Scientific American. This marks the first time that the EPA has moved to draw up a "chemicals of concern list" and action plans that could result in new restrictions, under authority granted by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Listing the chemicals means that the EPA sees the chemicals as potentially dangerous to either human health or the environment, and triggers export or product notifications that could already begin to put off potential users. The listed chemicals include many used in...