Unborn children are being exposed in the womb to potentially
harmfulman-made chemicals, according to new research commissioned
byGreenpeace Netherlands and WWF (1).
Research into maternal and umbilical cord blood, published today
in astudy entitled A Present for Life (2), reveals that known or
suspectedhazardous substances, present in everyday household
products, areentering babies' bodies through their pre-natal
lifeline: the umbilicalcord. The chemicals include some which are
known to affect physical andmental development in animals. The
report contains reactions to thefindings by two pediatricians and a
toxicologist.
"Babies feeding through the umbilical cord are exposed to
toxicchemicals from products like vinyl plastics, cleaning
products,electronics and perfumes. It is shocking that such
chemicals are in thehuman body at any stage of our life, let alone
at the very start, whenthe child is most vulnerable. Governments
need to act and requireindustries to substitute these contaminating
chemicals with saferalternatives," said Helen Perivier, Toxics
Campaigner for GreenpeaceInternational (3).
The chemicals in question are contained in countless items
ranging fromfood tins and electrical goods to pesticides,
deodorants andtoothpastes. They include artificial musks, used to
add scent toperfumes and perfumed products, and perfluorinated
compounds, used inwater-repellent coatings and to prepare non-stick
surfaces such asteflon. Also found were flame-retardants suspected
of causing learningand behavioural problems in animals, and the
antibacterial agenttriclosan, which is classified under EU law as
'very toxic to aquaticorganisms'. About 50% of the cord blood
samples tested fortriclosan contained concentrations of 0.5 to 5.0
ng/g (nanograms per gram) serum. Thesensitivity of a developing
baby to low level chemical exposure, eithersingly or in complex
mixtures, remains largely unknown.
"It is urgent that we end the loophole that permits industry
tocontinue using chemicals of very high concern by claiming
adequatecontrol of their use, even when safer alternatives exist.
If thesechemicals are 'adequately controlled', as industry claims,
how do theyend up in unborn babies?" said WWF's DetoX Campaign
Director, KarlWagner.
Proposed new EU legislation on chemicals, 'REACH', gives Europe
acrucial opportunity to take the necessary action to protect humans
andthe environment from the effects of harmful chemicals and to
makeproducers responsible for the impacts of their products.
Greenpeace andWWF are calling on legislators to put the interests
of public healthand the environment first, by ensuring that the
worst chemicals areidentified and phased out, and by making it
obligatory to substitutetoxic chemicals with safer
alternatives.
Other contacts: Katharine Mill, Greenpeace media officer, tel: +32 496 156 229, E-mail: katharine.mill@diala.greenpeace.orgHelen Perivier, Greenpeace International toxics campaigner, tel +32 496 127 107. E-mail: helen.perivier@diala.greenpeace.orgOlivier VanBogaert, WWF International, tel: +41 22 364 9554. E-mail: OVanbogaert@wwfint.org
Notes: (1) Eight groups of synthetic chemicals were tested in 42 maternal and 27 umbilical cord blood samples taken from volunteers at University Hospital Groningen (Netherlands).(2) See “A Present for Life: hazardous chemicals in cord blood” at: http://www.greenpeace.org/toxics/bloodcordreport(3) Sony, H&M, Nokia, Ikea and other companies have all made commitments to phase out their use of certain hazardous chemicals in consumer goods.* Weblinks to environmental and products testing:- http://www.panda.org/detox- http://www.greenpeace.org/toxics/cheminvestigations