Toxic chemicals found in consumer products are increasingly found in childrens bodies.
House Dust
Greenpeace teams armed with vacuum cleaners sampled house dust
fromhomes and offices across Europe, and had it analysed for
hazardouschemicals.
The results, from 13 countries (Netherlands, France, UK,Spain,
Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Slovakia, Austria,Poland
and Czech Republic), showed substantial quantities of the kindsof
hazardous chemicals contained in everyday household products
liketextiles, televisions, cosmetics and toys. The findings suggest
that weare exposed in our homes and offices to a daily cocktail of
chemicalssuspected of causing harm to human health.
Rainwater
To most people, rain is the pure refreshing act of nature that
washesaway the dirt and refreshes the landscape. But along with the
rain comesome nasty chemicals.
Recent research on rainwater in the Netherlands,Belgium and
Germany revealed that rainwater is polluted with a range oftoxic
chemicals. This pollution is particularly worrying because
thechemicals identified include known and suspected hormone
disrupters.This means they act like the hormones that we and other
animalsnaturally have in our bodies. They can disrupt the correct
functioningof the body and harm reproduction and development. While
most of ourexposure to these chemicals is likely to come from other
sources (food,contaminated indoor air and dust or from products
themselves), theirpresence in rainwater is an illustration of their
widespreaddistribution through the environment and represents a
further source ofcontamination.
Umbilical Cord Blood
The umbilical cord is more than a prenatal lifeline: it's also
theunborn child's link to the toxic burden of our planet. Analysis
ofmaternal and umbilical cord blood provided by volunteers in
theNetherlands, published in a report entitled '
A Present for Life', revealsthat known or suspected hazardous
substances, present in everydayhousehold products, are entering
babies' bodies through the umbilicalcord. The chemicals include
some that are known to affect physical andmental development in
animals.
The report, commissioned jointly by Greenpeace
International,Greenpeace Netherlands and WWF-UK, investigated the
presence ofhazardous chemicals in maternal and cord blood samples.
The resultsclearly show the presence of these chemicals in the
blood serum samplesfrom both mother and child.
Professor Pieter Sauer, Professor of Pediatrics from
UniversityHospital Groningen, is concerned about the findings: "Our
children arebeing exposed to polluting chemicals, though we have
hardly anyinformation on the long-term effects."
Particularly worrying are the hormone-disrupting chemicals,
which maycause most damage during the vulnerable stages of
development that isduring periods of rapid cell division, such as
in early life andparticularly when in the womb. A small disturbance
in early developmentcan have serious and irreversible consequences
for later life.
Consumer Products
We have investigated the levels of hazardous substances in
electronicequipment, textiles, toys, cosmetics, cleaning products,
sport shoes,mattresses, food packaging and flooring. In a project
focusing onchildren's textiles we found six types of
hazardous substances in 21samples of Disney clothes purchased
around the world, some at very highlevels. Our
tests on perfumes didn't smell that sweet either; none ofthe 36
perfumes tested was free of the two groups of hazardoussubstances
we looked for.
Engaging progressive companies
In order to demonstrate clearly that substitution is possible
andalready happening we organised the "
Substitute with Style" catwalk.Such an event showed the steps
taken by major consumer brands to stopusing hazardous chemicals in
a wide range of products, includingclothing, cosmetics and
electronic goods. The show highlighted how
progressive and innovative companies can remove hazardous
chemicals,such as brominated flame retardants and PVC among the
others, fromtheir products and substitute them with available safer
alternatives.
Unfortunately many industrial sectors are making no such efforts
tostop using toxic chemicals. The purpose of the catwalk was,
therefore,to send out a clear signal to EU decision-makers, for
them tounderstand that it is only by setting a strong legal
requirement tosubstitute hazardous chemicals that human health and
the environmentcan be protected effectively, through triggering
eco-innovation andfurther research into safer substances.
Freshwater and Threatened Species
It is not just us - humans - paying the price of chemical
pollution.Our investigations have revealed that the European eel is
contaminatedwith toxic chemicals, including brominated flame
retardants (BFRs).Adding insult to injury, the eel is already
vanishing from lakes andrivers across Europe, and some of these
toxic chemicals look as if theymight last longer than the species
itself.
Is this contamination a problem for eels? No one knows for sure
but theevidence is mounting that BFRs and other toxics have the
potential todamage development and hormone systems in humans and
wildlife.Certainly for an eel already under pressure, it's an extra
dose of badnews. Some scientists are concerned that these toxins
could harm theeel's ability reproduce or its young to survive. With
populations insome European waters are estimated to be as low as 1
percent ofhistoric levels, the eel clearly doesn't need a toxic
insult to add toits injuries.
Help us to ensure that REACH protectsus from hazardous chemicals. Actnow!