Tuesday 18 January 2005

Many of these chemicals are potentially damaging to health, while the long-term health impacts of others are still unknown. All of them are found in ordinary household products ranging from cosmetics and antibacterial soap to carpets and computers.

WWF and WI have handed a petition signed by more than 77,000 people to the Parliament calling for a number of these chemicals in everyday products to be banned under the new REACH legislation, while better controls are introduced for others. WWF and WI are calling for the Parliament to make it a legal requirement for manufacturers to replace these chemicals with safer alternatives where they are available.

The chemicals that WWF and WI are particularly concerned about include:

• Phthalates - which are used in nail varnish, cosmetics and plastics. This group of chemicals has been linked to asthma and genital abnormalities.
• Perfluorinated chemicals - used to make non-stick coatings and stain-proof treatments for furniture and textiles. These chemicals have been linked to bladder cancer in workers who are exposed to them.
• Brominated flame retardants - used in electrical appliances, carpets and furniture. These chemicals have been shown to affect brain development and thyroid hormone function, which controls physical development, in mammals.

Elizabeth Salter Green, head of the WWF Toxics Programme said: "Most consumers do not know that they are buying these chemicals when they do their weekly shop, and they are even less likely to be aware of the potential health impacts of them. REACH provides a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that the safely of both people and wildlife is ensured by better regulation of these chemicals."

Some WI members travelling to the parliament have had their blood analysed, showing that they have been contaminated by many of these chemicals. Chemicals that have already been banned - such as DDT and PCBs - were also found in their blood.

Barbara Gill, NFWI Chairman said: "As mothers, grandmothers, citizens and consumers it is our right to know that the products we use day in and day out are not harming our families.

"WI members want to ensure that the precautionary principle is put into place - any substance not proven to be safe should not be allowed into everyday items. If there is no alternative to the use of hazardous chemicals then items should be clearly labelled. Consumers should have a legal right to assess the possible impact of their purchases and be given the choice that will enable them to protect their families."