Archived press release

Millions of animals used for chemical safety tests? no way, says foe

13 May 2002

The chemical industry is branded as “hypocritical” by Friends of the Earth in new research published today. The research exposes the industry for promoting the use of unnecessary tests on laboratory animals, while at the same trying to attack new safety standards for chemicals in consumer products in the interests of animal welfare [1].

Friends of the Earth’s research shows that:

• The chemical industry is calling for animal tests on chemicals produced at less than 10 tonnes a year. Friends of the Earth and European governments oppose such tests [2],
• The chemical industry opposes precautionary action on chemicals interfering with the hormone system and instead demands the right to continue animal tests in the vain hope of showing the chemicals concerned are safe [3],
• The chemical industry has opposed new safety laws on the chemicals they produce on the grounds that they will increase animal testing [4].
• The figure for the number of animal tests needed to implement new safety laws, even in a non-precautionary way, is 40 times lower than the grossly inaccurate figure widely used by the chemical industry [1].
  

Friends of the Earth is calling for new laws to be introduced using a precautionary approach - phasing out chemicals which build-up in our bodies or interfere with our hormone system - and using non-animal tests whenever possible, for example through the use of powerful new techniques such as expression profiling (developed as part of the biomedical revolution). These new techniques could drastically cut the number of animal tests carried out in Europe.

The chemical industry and politicians opposing new safety laws have estimated that 12 million tests would have to be carried out on animals. Friends of the Earth research - which is based on data provided to the UK Government’s Chemical Stakeholder Forum - suggests that even if new regulations were introduced in a non-precautionary way, the true figure would only be 300,000 animal tests (this represents a tiny proportion of animal tests carried out each year in the EU) [5].

New chemical safety laws are desperately needed, and are currently being debated by the EU, because the vast majority of chemicals consumers are exposed to have not been tested. Meanwhile concerns over increased rates of some cancers, as well as trends such as falling sperm counts and girls entering puberty earlier, have raised concerns about chemical safety. Research has shown that unborn babies, babies and toddlers are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals in the womb and through breast feeding.

Mike Childs, Safer Chemicals Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“Introducing new laws to protect consumers from risky chemicals is an obligation not an option. Young children and babies are exposed to scores of man-made chemicals for which we have no safety data. The new laws must be introduced in a precautionary way, maximising the use of non-animal tests and utilising the powerful new biomedical techniques currently being developed. It is entirely feasible to protect the public from risky chemicals and cut the number of animal tests in Europe.

“The chemical industry is simply hypocritical. It promotes the use of unnecessary tests on laboratory animals whilst at the same attacking new safety standards for chemicals in consumer products in the interests of animal welfare.”

Notes

1. Safety testing of chemicals and the new EU chemicals policy, available at: www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/safer_chemicals/resource/experts.html
2. This is within the European Chemical Industry’s position paper on the EU review of chemicals policy: CEFIC; Thought starter on REACH, an initial proposal for translating the REACH system into practice, 2001.
3. For example, the chemical bisphenol A, which is used in food can linings, was found to mimic oestrogen in 1938 but despite this the chemical industry has continued to carry out animal tests on this chemical to try to find an allegedly safe threshold of exposure.
4. For example, see “CEFIC supports objectives of the White Paper on the EU Chemicals Policy Review but questions practicalities” at www.cefic.org/press. Also, Margot Walstrom, EU Environment Commissioner said in January 2001 that “Industry are lobbying very hard against a new chemicals policy”, reported in environment news service Environment Daily.
5. Institute of Environmental Health, testing requirements under the EC White Paper ‘strategy for a future chemicals policy’ – an update (draft), 2002.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust