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Pressure grows for action on risky chemicals
29 March 2001
New evidence is emerging every day about the possible health impacts of risky chemicals in household products. Meanwhile, the political debate rages in Europe - with the UK Government joining the big chemical companies in trying to block moves to toughen chemical regulation.
Friends of the Earth today publishes the latest edition of its Safer Chemicals Campaign newsletter “Toxic Leaks”. It reveals:
* new research showing a mystery hormone disrupting chemical in the blubber of seals and whales from the Gulf of St Lawrence in Canada. The chemical - TCPM -has already been found to contaminate human fat and the blubber of whales in the North Pacific (Environmental Pollution, 2001, 111: pp29-43)
* new research showing amniotic fluid (which surrounds the foetus in the womb)contaminated with PCBs and DDT breakdown products (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2000, 85: pp 2954-2957)
* research papers showing that bisphenol a, a chemical present in many food can linings, can affect development in mice at low “environmentally relevant” doses(Reproductive Toxicology, 2001, p15)
On February 13th this year, the European Commission finally published its White Paper on chemicals. Margot Wallstrom, the EU Environment Commissioner, has complained that“industry are lobbying very hard against a new chemicals policy”. The White Paper shows the extent of that influence. In particular, it:
* fails to propose controls on chemicals that accumulate in the body (weakening a previous draft)
* does not oblige industry to use the safest available chemicals
* will allow products to be imported into the EU containing chemicals which have no safety assessment
Final decisions on the White Paper and future directives are expected at the next EU
Environment Council meeting on 7th-8th June.
Meanwhile in the UK, Friends of the Earth's Safer Chemicals Campaign has been launched with a new web site [1] and commitments from Homebase to phase out risky chemicals.
Commenting, Friends of the Earth's Safer Chemicals Campaigner Dr Michael Warhurst said:
“Today, we publish new research showing just why we should be so concerned about so many of the chemicals that are still in use in household products. We think the public shares that concern. But behind the scenes the chemical industry, with backing from the British Government, has been working to undermine European moves to strengthen chemicals regulation. The industry - and its political backers -put their profits ahead of public safety. We may all end up paying a heavy price for this selfish attitude”.
[1] Safer Chemicals Campaign web site:
[2] Friends of the Earth has agreed a “Copenhagen Charter” on chemicals regulation with consumer and environmental groups across Europe. It calls for:
1. A full right to know, including what chemicals are present in products
2. A deadline by which all chemicals on the market must have had their safety independently assessed. All uses of a chemical should be independently approved and should be demonstrated to be safe beyond a reasonable doubt
3. A phase out of persistent or bioaccumulative chemicals
4. A requirement to substitute less safe chemicals with safer ones
5. A commitment to stop all releases to the environment of hazardous substances by 2020.
The Charter has been welcomed by EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom and supported by Danish Environment Minister Svend Auken.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
