Per Rosander, Director, ChemSec.
ChemSec has released a list of 22 substances that harms endocrine. It has called for the European Commission to take priority action in EU against the endocrine disrupting chemicals.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: ChemSec launched a list of highly problematic endocrine disrupting chemicals. This list, consisting of 22 substances are identified as substances of very high concern under REACH and are commonly found in toys, food packaging and cosmetics.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with our hormone system and have been increasingly linked to a range of health problems including cancer, diabetes, behavioural and attention deficit disorders, as well as impaired fertility.
“The EU has the ambition to tackle the threat of EDCs but has so far not properly regulated their use. It is time to overcome this deadlock in European regulation and start acting,” said Per Rosander, Director, ChemSec.
In the EU chemicals regulation REACH, all 27 member states have agreed that the use of substances of very high concern (SVHC) should be strictly limited. However, the processes for doing so are moving very slowly and currently, only 46 chemicals have been officially identified as SVHCs and put on the REACH candidate list. None of them have been selected specifically for their endocrine disrupting properties.
Endocrine disruptors are as worrisome as other SVHCs which cause cancer, birth defects among others. These persist in the environment and accumulate in people’s bodies. ChemSec suggested that the European Commission and EU member states to start nominating EDCs to the REACH candidate list. This latest update of the list gives guidance on where to start, informed ChemSec.
“Endocrine disrupting chemicals are commonly used in many consumer products, and companies closest to the end-user and consumer knows that things have to change. We are convinced that the 2.0 update of the list will further facilitate companies’ efforts to substitute high concern chemicals,” said Rosander.
(C) WOC News