https://taplink.cc/divisionsenvironmentalhealth

UCT Division of Environmental Health, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town (2026)

24/04/2026

Environmental Health Tip 🌱

Reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and cut down on waste when purchasing takeaway food. Bring your own reusable containers and cups when collecting your meal, and leave behind single-use items such as pizza boxes and food wrapping (e.g. burger paper).

Many of these packaging materials are treated with PFAS (“forever chemicals”) to resist grease and moisture. PFAS are persistent in the environment and have been linked to adverse long-term health effects, which has led to increasing regulatory restrictions, including bans in the EU. They are commonly found in baking paper, food wrapping, and fast-food packaging.

Choosing reusable alternatives is a simple, practical step to reduce both environmental impact and potential chemical exposure. ♻️

➡️ Interested in learning more about Environmental Health?
Explore UCT’s Master of Public Health specialising in Environmental Health or the Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management:

https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/postgraduate-teaching-masters-programmes/professional-masters-chemicals-risk-management
https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

17/04/2026

🌿Discover our new Environmental Health tip for the week:

Cleaner communities start with small, everyday choices.

Picking up just one piece of litter may seem small—but when it becomes a habit, it adds up. Imagine the impact if we all did the same.

Be part of the change. Start with one.

🛍️ Use a paper bag to collect litter.

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health (MPH), specialising in Environmental Health: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

➡️Discover our outreach material: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

🔗More Environmental Health tips:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYGZdtAcj0fMHor8nSlGLquok2Z0b9Kr7

10/04/2026

➡️ Get rid of ticks, without using chemicals!

Looking for safer, low-toxicity ways to manage pests in your home? The Division of Environmental Health has developed a booklet for controlling pests without the use of chemicals, helping protect your health, your family, and the environment. 🌱

📘 Download the booklet here:
https://health.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/media/documents/alternatives_booklet_final_final.pdf

⚠️ NB: The mixtures are not for eating purposes and should always be kept out of reach of children and pets to avoid accidental contact.

➡️ Interested in learning more about Environmental Health?
Explore UCT’s Master of Public Health specialising in Environmental Health or the Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management:

https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/postgraduate-teaching-masters-programmes/professional-masters-chemicals-risk-management

https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

07/04/2026

📢 NEW PUBLICATION

📖 Title: “If They Are Not Labeled, How Do We Know What’s Risky and What’s Not?”: Assessing Information on Brominated Flame Retardants in Children’s Plastic Products in South Africa

➡️ Authors: Rebecca Mlelwa and Prof. Hanna-Andrea Rother

🔗 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302261435748

A new study highlights critical gaps in information on hazardous chemicals in children’s products in South Africa.

🔍 What the study found:

- Harmful chemicals known as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) - including substances banned globally for their links to cancer, neurotoxicity, and hormone disruption - are found in children’s plastic products.
- Information on these chemicals is largely unavailable.
- Regulators and advocacy groups have limited access to information, while consumers have none.

⚠️ Why this matters:
Without clear information on product contents, it is difficult to protect children - who are most vulnerable from harmful chemical exposure.

📢 Key recommendations:
- Stronger national chemical legislation
- A national chemical register
- Mandatory disclosure of chemicals in products
- A global standard for chemical information sharing

➡️To delve deeper into chemical risk management, sign up for UCT's Masters in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM):
https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/postgraduate-teaching-masters-programmes/professional-masters-chemicals-risk-management

01/04/2026

📢 Applications are now open!

Take the next step in your career with the Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM) at UCT’s Division of Environmental Health.

💻 Learn more:
https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/postgraduate-teaching-masters-programmes/professional-masters-chemicals-risk-management

📄 Download the brochure:
https://health.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/media/documents/health_uct_ac_za/253/2026-mcrm-web-flyer-05-03-2026.pdf

👉 Apply online:
http://applyonline.uct.ac.za/

➡️ Explore the postgraduate programmes at the Division of Environmental Health:
https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

UCT Faculty of Health Sciences

27/03/2026

🌿Discover our new Environmental Health tip for the week:

Did you know that non-biodegradable wet wipes can take centuries to decompose?

A simple swap can make a big difference:
👉 Choose to carry and use wetted cotton face cloths instead - they’re reusable, eco-friendly, and just as effective.

Simple yet impactful ways to protect the environment and safeguard your well-being. Stay tuned for weekly doses of eco-friendly wisdom. Together, we can make a greener, healthier world! 🌿🌟

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health (MPH), specialising in Environmental Health: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

➡️Discover our outreach material: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

20/03/2026

🌿 Environmental Health Tip: Support the Right to Repair

The 'Right to Repair' movement promotes the ability of consumers and independent technicians to repair products they own instead of replacing them.

Many electronic devices and appliances are discarded because they are difficult or expensive to repair. This contributes to the rapid growth of electronic waste (e-waste), which may contain hazardous substances that can harm human health and the environment.

Repairing products helps to:

🔧 Extend product lifespan – reducing unnecessary waste
♻️ Reduce hazardous e-waste and pollution
🌍 Conserve natural resources used to manufacture new products
🔄 Support a circular economy focused on reuse and repair

Research highlights that the right-to-repair movement advocates for access to repair manuals, spare parts, and diagnostic tools so consumers can maintain and repair their devices rather than discard them.

📚 Further reading:

• Right to Repair South Africa – information on the movement and consumer rights in South Africa https://www.right2repair.org.za/

• The right-to-repair movement: Sustainability and consumer rights https://doi.org/10.1177/20438869231178037

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM): https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

13/03/2026

🌿 Environmental Health Tip

Before recycling plastic rings from bottles, jars, or packaging, cut the loops open with scissors.

Closed plastic rings can trap birds, fish, and other wildlife if they enter the environment. Cutting them helps prevent animals from becoming entangled and reduces harm to ecosystems.

Key reasons:

1. Prevents wildlife entanglement
Animals such as birds, fish, turtles, and small mammals can become trapped in plastic rings if they enter the environment. As the animal grows, the ring can tighten around its body, causing injury, restricted movement, or death.

2. Reduces choking and ingestion risks
Animals may mistake plastic rings for food. Cutting them into smaller pieces reduces the likelihood of animals getting stuck in the loops.

3. Improves waste handling safety
Loose loops of plastic can catch on machinery at recycling facilities or during waste sorting, making processing more difficult and sometimes dangerous.

✂️ A quick cut can make a big difference for wildlife and the environment.

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM): https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

10/03/2026

📢 Exciting news! The Division of Environmental Health is proud to release our latest Guidance Document:
"Guidance document on implementing domestic financing for the sound management of chemicals and waste in support of UNEP’s Special Programme "

Chemicals are increasingly produced and used globally, including in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. While chemicals play an important role in economic development, their production and use are also associated with significant costs, including impacts on human health, the environment, and environmental justice.

Adequate, stable, and sustainable financing is a prerequisite for the sound management of chemicals and waste (SMCW). Insufficient financing results in a high cost of inaction, with consequences for people, animals, and ecosystems. Despite this, chemicals and waste management remains under-financed in many countries.

This guidance document highlights the importance of domestic financing for SMCW and provides practical guidance on how it can be strengthened to support the long-term sustainability of chemicals and waste management systems. It draws on UNEP’s Integrated Approach to Sustainable Financing and emphasises the role of industry participation, including application of the polluter pays principle.

The guidance is intended to support countries, particularly those with developing economies and with economies in transition, all past, current, and future recipients of UNEP’s Special Programme, as well as policymakers and stakeholders, by strengthening the sustainability of project outcomes beyond the duration of external funding.

Consult and share this guidance document with your network and peers to explore its insights.

📄 Read the full guidance document: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects/guidance-document-unep-sp-sustainable-financing

Publication date: December 2025

06/03/2026

🌿 EH Tip: Re-use your glass jars | Remove sticky label residue from glass

Struggling with sticky glue left behind by labels?

Try this simple household solution:

1️⃣ Mix bicarbonate of soda and olive oil to form a paste.
2️⃣ Rub the paste onto the sticky residue.
3️⃣ Wipe clean with a cloth.

✨ The residue should lift off easily, leaving your glass clean and reusable.

Discover our new Environmental Health Tip for the week: simple yet impactful ways to protect the environment and safeguard your well-being. Stay tuned for weekly doses of eco-friendly wisdom. Together, we can make a greener, healthier world! 🌿🌟

Discover our outreach material at: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM): https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

04/03/2026

📢 New Publication | Environmental Health & MDR-TB

We are proud to share a new article published by former student Amy Nel, together with Mary E. Miller and Hanna-Andrea Rother:

📖 Title: Environmental health recommendations for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

This systematic review explores the relationship between environmental risk factors and the health of individuals living with MDR-TB at home, and the potential role environmental health practices play in preventing transmission to household contacts in LMICs.

🔎 Key insights:

✅Environmental health may be an important, yet underrepresented component of MDR-TB prevention and management strategies.

✅Promoting good environmental health practices could help optimise patient health and reduce household transmission.

✅Local and global policies, including WHO targets and the SDGs, could consider more explicit integration of environmental health into MDR-TB strategies.

✅However, current evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, highlighting the urgent need for stronger, context-specific research to guide equitable and effective policy responses.

This work underscores the critical intersection between environmental health and infectious disease prevention in high-burden settings such as South Africa.

🔗 Read the full article here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-26503-4

UCT Division of Environmental Health

24/04/2026

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