2020-08-26 CoMeta release

New Content

Scenarios

• Diisocyanate-related building contamination. It is well-established that occupational exposure to diisocyanates (toluene diisocyanate, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, and hexamethylene diisocyanate) can cause lung injury, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis and severe asthma. Although industrial controls now mitigate direct exposure to diisocyanates, scientists continue to investigate whether lower-level exposures also impair lung functioning. One of the major uses of diisocyanates is in producing polyurethane insulation, including spray foam insulation applied in commercial and residential buildings. In these liability catastrophe scenarios, building owners file suit alleging that the presence of spray foam insulation elevates the risk that occupants will suffer severe asthma to unacceptable levels and demand compensation for the costs of encapsulating it in-place.
• SARS-CoV-2 state 4th-party damages. A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019.  The highly contagious virus, which causes a respiratory illness known as COVID-19, quickly spread and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.  Many individuals who contract the virus experience mild symptoms or are entirely asymptomatic.  Some infected individuals, however, especially the elderly and those with preexisting health conditions, are hospitalized and may suffer long-term damage from the virus or die. In this scenario, state governments file suit against air carriers and cruise lines alleging that their negligent actions resulted in the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. These lawsuits seek to recover the costs of treating COVID-19 patients under state Medicaid programs.

Themes

• Sunscreen. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently permits 16 active ingredients capable of blocking ultraviolet radiation in products labeled as sunscreens in the United States. FDA has proposed that only the two mineral sunscreen ingredients – titanium dioxide and zinc oxide – be granted GRASE status (“generally accepted as safe and effective”). Concern over the potential for the remaining chemical sunscreen ingredients to cause developmental, endocrine, and reproductive harm has led FDA to propose that additional study is needed before it can determine whether these other ingredients are GRASE. The six chemical sunscreen agents found in this theme are the most commonly used in the United States today. The theme also includes nano-sized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which scientists continue to study for their potential impacts on human health.

Litagion agents

• 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-isoprooxyphenylsulfone (BPSIP). A bisphenol A replacement chemical used in many of the same applications as bisphenol S, which is used in the production of epoxy resins, polyethersulphones, and thermal paper for printing point-of-sale receipts and other documents.
• Avobenzone. A chemical sunscreen agent that absorbs ultraviolet A radiation.
• Homosalate. A chemical sunscreen agent that absorbs ultraviolet B radiation.
• Octinoxate. A chemical sunscreen agent that absorbs ultraviolet B radiation.
• Octisalate. A chemical sunscreen agent that absorbs ultraviolet B radiation.
• Octocrylene. A chemical sunscreen agent that absorbs ultraviolet A and B radiation.

Updated Litagion agent profiles based upon newly published science