European Chemical Industry Council

Sustainable manufacturing performance is increasingly influenced by the quality of decisions embedded in Quality Management System (QMS) activities, particularly those related to problem analysis and preventive action. In industrial environments such as welded bus chassis production, recurring quality defects—although involving small components—can generate sustainability impacts through rework, inspection effort, and energy consumption. Although artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly adopted to support quality-related tasks, its contribution is often assessed in terms of automation rather than its effect on decision quality. This study presents an AI-supported, prompt-driven decision framework designed to strengthen preventive performance within QMS. The framework is implemented through a deterministic software application that formalizes prompt engineering as a rule-based process, transforming informal human problem descriptions into structured prompts suitable for external AI reasoning tools. The application itself does not embed AI and does not generate decisions; instead, it functions as a transparent decision interface that reduces variability in problem formulation and supports methodological consistency. The framework was validated through an industrial case study conducted in a bus chassis manufacturing plant experiencing recurring defects related to missing or incorrectly positioned welded brackets. Quantitative evaluation using Key Performance Indicators demonstrates reduced analysis cycle time, improved completeness of problem definitions, higher corrective action implementation rates, and lower defect recurrence.

The degradation and fragmentation of plastics in the environment is an important but relatively poorly characterised process.Fragmentation leads to the formation of micro-and nanoplastics, and research has shown that particle size and shape, and thereby fragmentation, impacts a variety of processes, such as the ability of organisms to uptake plastics, and the movement of plastics around the environment (Thompson et al., 2024;Thornton Hampton et al., 2022).In this paper, we present the FRAGMENT-MNP model as an open-source mechanistic model of micro-and nanoplastic degradation and fragmentation.FRAGMENT-MNP predicts how pieces of plastic can break part (fragment), providing invaluable insights into fragmentation dynamics to help develop our understanding of plastic degradation and fragmentation, and offering predictive capabilities to enable better prediction of the fate and exposure of plastics in the environment.

Emissions of plastic waste to the environment and the subsequent degradation into microplastic particles that have the potential to interact with biological organisms represent a concern for global society. Current understanding of the potential impacts on aquatic and terrestrial population stability and ecosystem structure and function associated with emissions of microplastic particles is limited and insufficient to fully assess environmental risks. Multistakeholder discussions can provide an important element in helping to identify and prioritize key knowledge gaps in assessing potential risks. In the present review, we summarize multistakeholder discussions from a 1‐d International Council of Chemical Associations–sponsored symposium, which involved 39 scientists from 8 countries with representatives from academia, industry, and government. Participants were asked to consider the following: discuss the scientific merits and limitations of applying a proposed conceptual environmental risk assessment (ERA) framework for microplastic particles and identify and prioritize major research needs in applying ERA tools for microplastic particles. Multistakeholder consensus was obtained with respect to the interpretation of the current state of the science related to effects and exposure to microplastic particles, which implies that it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic in the environment currently represents a risk. However, the quality and quantity of existing data require substantial improvement before conclusions regarding the potential risks and impacts of microplastic particles can be fully assessed. Research that directly addresses the development and application of methods that strengthen the quality of data should thus be given the highest priority. Activities aimed at supporting the development of and access to standardized reference material were identified as a key research need. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2087–2100. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Seit Oktober 2003 liegt der Entwurf der EU Kommission fur eine neue Europaische Chemikalienverordnung (REACh) auf dem Tisch. Die erste Meinungsfindung in Rat und Parlament der Europaischen Union geht derzeit in ihre Schlussphase. Zwischen November 2004 und April 2005 fand auf europaischer Ebene ein Plansiel statt, mit dem die Praktikabilitat der Stoffregistrierung im Rahmen des REACh Systems erprobt werden sollte. Der Europaische Chemieverband (Cefic) in Zusammenarbent mit anderen betroffenen Industrieverbaden, die EU Kommission und eine Reihe von EU Mitgliedstaaten hatten diesen Testlauf im Rahmen einer strategischen Partnerschaft gemeinsam auf den Weg gebracht. An dem Planspiel nahmen 53 Chemiehersteller und-anwender sowie die Chemikalienbehorden von 13 EU-Mitgliedstaaten teil. Acht verschiedene Registrierungsfalle wurden parallel zueinander simuliert. Aufgabe der Planspieler war es, die Registrierung eines Stoffes (einschlieslich aller Vorarbeiten) und die Prufung des Registrierungsdossier durch die Behorden durchzuspielen. Dabei wurde ein ‘Freeflow-Modus’ gewahlt, das heist, die Planspieler erhielten keine Anleitung, wie die im Verordnungsentwurf nicdergelegten Pflichten und Aufgaben praktisch umzusetzen sind. In der Abschlussphase des Projektes erarbeiteten sich die drei strategischen Partner ein gemeinsames. Verstandnis von den moglichen Praktikabilitatsproblemen und geeingneten Losungsoptionen. Dieser Prozess fuhrte zu einem Abschlussbericht mit gemeinsam getragenen Empfehlungen zu 12 Themenbereichen. Diese beziehen sich uberwiegend auf die Kooperation zwischen den Registrierungspflichtigen, die Verantwortungsteilung und Kommunikation zwischen Stoffhersteller und Stoffanwender sowie technisch-fachlichen Aspekte bei der Erstellung des Registrierungsdossiers. Zudem wurde die Notwendigkeit hervorgehoben, ein gemeinsames Rollenverstandnis und geeignete Instrumente fur die Dossierprufung durch die Behorden zu entwickeln. Uber die konkreten Empfehlungen hinaus hat SPORT gezeigt, dass die Simulation wichtiger Ablaufe auf der Basis eines neuen Verordnungsverordnungsentwurfes wertvolle Erkenntnisse zur Praktikabilitat von Gesetzesentwurfen und einen Beitrag zuBetter Regulation, einem strategischen Ziel der Kommission, liefern kann.

Nachrichten aus Chemie, Technik und LaboratoriumVolume 42, Issue 9 p. 843-843 Leitartikel Brüssel, Chemie und Innovationen Prof. Dr. Horst König, Prof. Dr. Horst König Chairman der CEFIC Strategy Group „Science and Technology”︁Search for more papers by this author Prof. Dr. Horst König, Prof. Dr. Horst König Chairman der CEFIC Strategy Group „Science and Technology”︁Search for more papers by this author First published: September 1994 https://doi.org/10.1002/nadc.19940420903AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume42, Issue9September 1994Pages 843-843 RelatedInformation