The WWF report, "ContamiNATION, The Results of WWF's Biomonitoring Survey," details the results of blood tests carried out at 13 UK-wide locations - including Belfast - earlier this year. The tests have revealed that chemicals, which have been banned for decades and which are associated with a range of health problems including cancer and liver and blood disorders, continue to contaminate people today. More worryingly, other chemicals with similar properties are still in use today.

The WWF survey is also the first to identify the contamination of ordinary people by a chemical flame retardant currently used to prevent fire in products such as cars, TVs and computers. This chemical was found in ten individuals, with the highest levels of contamination being comparable with levels found in people who work with the chemical on a daily basis.

Northern Ireland levels

Northern Ireland was found to have the highest average concentration of the industrial chemical and pesticide HCB, and the second highest average of the pesticide HCH, an insecticide used in head lice treatments. Both have been listed as possible cancer causing chemicals.

"To discover that your body is contaminated with a cocktail of highly toxic chemicals from everyday products is totally unacceptable said Jim Kitchen, Head of WWF Northern Ireland. "Government and the chemicals industry appear to be putting profit before people. The chemicals found by the WWF study and others, must not be used until we know they are safe - effective regulation is the only way forward."

Significantly, women were found to have lower levels of certain PCBs than men, and the levels appear to reduce in relation to the number of children they carried and breast-fed. These differences seem to be related to women 'off-loading' some of the chemicals in their bodies to their children.

New legislation needed

The report's findings send a clear warning to the UK government that they must strengthen their position on the new proposed European chemicals legislation, known as REACH and call for legislation that phases out harmful chemicals in favour of safer alternatives.

The survey does show that effective chemical regulation banning the manufacture and use of hazardous chemicals can eventually begin to reduce human levels of contamination. For example, the survey failed to find two types of pesticide which have been banned from use in the UK. It also found that the levels of PCBs, which were banned more than twenty years ago, are gradually decreasing from levels found in the UK 10 years ago.

Politicians tested

11 people were tested in Belfast. They included politicians, journalists and members of the public from across Northern Ireland.

David Ford, Leader of the Alliance Party commented: "I was not too concerned with my own results but I was surprised that some results were quite high, as I feel that I lead a healthy life. The overall findings of this WWF report are extremely worrying. Everyday items, which we believe to be safe, are filling our bodies with chemicals that have no safety information available. We need new laws to provide an effective way of regulating such chemicals, otherwise we risk passing a future of ill health on to our children."

Michelle Gildernew, Sinn Fein MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone added: "Despite following a fairly healthy lifestyle, I was shocked to discover that my blood test revealed a number of chemicals which could be dangerous to health. As a mother, I find it even more disturbing that I could have passed some of these chemicals on to my child during pregnancy. Current legislation governing the use of chemicals obviously isn't adequate and this issue must be addressed urgently if we are to protect future generations."

Upon studying his personal results Dr. John Barry of the Green Party said: "As a vegetarian, who eats mainly organic produce, I did not expect my results to indicate a high level of contamination, yet eighteen chemicals were detected in my body. Not a high level in comparison to other results but they are chemicals I did not ask for and certainly do not want. There appears to be no escape from the chemical by-products of our industrialised society. We must see a change to the law governing chemicals before it is too late."


155 people were tested in total across the UK for 78 chemicals, including:

• 12 organochlorine pesticides, (including HCH or Lindane, used to treat timber and in head lice treatments)
• 21 PBDEs (used in some commercially traded flame retardants)
• 45 PCB congeners (used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment, manufacture stopped in the 1970's but they are still present in the environment due to leakage from hazardous waste sites, illegal dumping or burning of some waste products)