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Lack of reference standards hampers research into new chemical risks
All European countries have laws and regulations in place to monitor the risks of chemicals in, for example, food, drinking water and food packaging. Reference standards are needed to be able to carry out this monitoring properly. However, these standards are not available for a number of new chemical substances and this hampers research into the risks. In the publication ‘The Critical Role of Commercial Analytical Reference Standards in the Control of Chemical Risks: The Case of PFAS and Ways Forward’, researchers raise the alarm and suggest options for improvement.
Composition of a substance
Reference standards are pure substances whose composition and purity has been formally established. They are used, for example, to calibrate analytical measuring instruments and to compare (unknown) results. These reference standards are also used to determine toxicity. In order to conduct good analytical and toxicological research into, for example, different PFAS, you need the reference standards of all those specific PFAS.
The researchers state that the lack of reference standards is caused, among other things, by the fact that developing them is time-consuming and expensive for laboratories and because chemical companies rely on their patent position.
Monitoring chemical risks
Countries monitor chemical risks in food and animal feed with a number of objectives:
- assessment of toxicity and exposure of humans and animals;
- setting limits on presence of chemicals in food, feed and food packaging;
- enforcement of laws and regulations;
- monitoring the effectiveness of the measures taken.
Measures for improvement
In the publication, the researchers show that the current risk assessment for many chemicals is hampered by the lack of reference standards. In addition, they propose a number of measures to improve the situation:
- increase the collection of reference standards so that laboratories have better access to these standards;
- providing alternative options for chemical identification, quantification and toxicity testing when reference standards are not available;
- considering regulation of chemicals by class rather than individually when reference standards are not available.