Signal Novel Entities boundary judged transgressed on untested releases

Summary

Novel entities are chemicals and materials made or mobilized by humans, including plastics, persistent pollutants and radioactive elements. Understanding of their planetary exposure and effects remains fragmented because their number and variety keep growing. The report therefore uses a proxy, the fraction of such substances produced and used without adequate safety testing, and following precaution sets the boundary at zero. Because that fraction is currently very high, the Novel Entities boundary is judged to be transgressed. In the report's view, new substances are being created much faster than they can be assessed. Since testing every substance before release is impossible, the current variable is hard to act on, and alternative control variables are being developed.