Assessment of bisphenols in children's toy and baby products in the Middle East

A major concern from the scientific community has been raised since evidence of Bisphenol A(BP-A)can leach out from the products where they are incorporated as well as its endocrine disrupting effects observed in animals and humans.BP-A and several related chemicals such as Bisphenol AP(BP-AP),Bisphenol B(BPeB),Bisphenol S(BPeS),Bisphenol AF(BP-AF),Bisphenol(BPeP),Bisphenol Z(BP-Z)were analyzed in this study.BP-A and BP-S were the only bisphenols detected in the samples analyzed in this study.The median(range;mean)concentrations of BP-A found in this study was 321 ng/g(11-200932;4893 ng/g).The analysis was carried out by sonicating 0.1 g of a cryo-milled sample aliquot in methanol followed by UPLC-MS/MS determination.High concentrations of BP-A were found in several products labeled as BP-A free such as nursing bottles which are particularly problematic from the children's exposure point of view.This study presents the first reliable bisphenols in children's toys and baby products commercialized in the Middle East.There is,however,a need to continue monitoring these compounds,especially in low-cost toys,and the so-called BP-A-free products,which appear to have high levels of target contaminants and can pose an exposure risk for infants and children in the region.

Inventories and assessment of POPs in the State of Kuwait as a basis for Stockholm Convention implementation

Since 2006,Kuwait has been a party to the Stockholm Convention(SC)on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs).According to Article 7 of the SC,each party should develop a National Implementation Plan(NIP)and endeavour to implement the plan for the control and elimination of POPs.A first detailed National Implementation Plan has been developed for Kuwait with the support of the Stockholm Convention Regional Center for Capacity-Building and the Transfer of Technology for West Asia(SCRC Kuwait)in KISR.It includes a detailed action plan to manage and control the POPs in the country but also with activities to further give regional support for POPs monitoring and management.The current paper discusses the major inventory findings for the individual POPs groups including POPs pesticides,polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs),polybrominated diphenyl ethers,and hexabromocyclododecane(HBCD)as well as Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid(PFOS)and unintentional POPs.Besides,information from POPs monitoring studies in Kuwait relevant to the NIP is shortly compiled for further informing on the current situation of POPs in Kuwait.Selected soil samples were collected and analyzed for selected POPs during the NIP development to generate supplementary information to the POP monitoring studies already conducted in Kuwait.Further relevant areas for the POPs management and control were assessed during the NIP development and are listed in the paper.One finding in the NIP assessment was that some of the alternatives used are also bioaccumulative with toxicity in biota and that in the NIP implementation.Also,alternative pesticides in the current use are an issue of concern.Therefore one activity in the implementation of the NIP is the avoidance of regrettable alternatives and the use of more sustainable and green chemicals.