Thursday 9 October 2003

Hazel Macbeth, WWF Scotland's Support Coordinator, was one of the brave Scottish guinea-pigs who had their blood tested in Edinburgh this June for over 70 toxic chemicals commonly found in our environment. The tests marked the launch of WWF's Chemicals and Health Campaign, which aims to better regulate the use of dangerous man-made chemicals in Europe.

Back in her hometown of Aberfeldy in Highland Perthshire, Hazel is waiting for the results with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.

"I did it out of interest but it is quite frightening to think what might be in the food chain and in our bodies. I didn't know that many of these chemicals can be found in every-day items such as tinned food, cosmetics, televisions and carpets in our homes and exposure to them is slowly contaminating our bodies," said Hazel.

Up to 300 man-made chemicals have been found in humans and it is believed that most, if not all, humans are contaminated with persistent industrial chemicals. Scientists are now suggesting that in-womb exposures to chemicals may be linked to birth defects in the genitals of baby boys and low sperm counts and testicular cancer in later life.

Hazel is particularly concerned about the long term health of her two children, a boy and a girl now thirteen and ten years old, respectively. "I worry about what I may have passed onto my children. I breast fed them for over seven months each and many of these chemicals end up in breast milk."

Hazel has no idea what the results will show up. Born and raised in rural Perthshire, she has always lived in the country and hopes that she has managed to avoid the risks of living in big, polluted cities. But then she has spent the past 15 years living on a farm with her husband Ali. "I always think that the country is one of the safest places to live but now I'm not so sure when I look around and see what pesticides are being sprayed."

Just what is lurking in Hazel's body, together with the rest of the volunteers' results, will be published in November. WWF hopes the results will highlight the urgent need to ban the most dangerous of these chemicals and find safer alternatives for many others.

"The European Union admits that 99 per cent of the volume of man-made chemicals in our environment is poorly regulated. Scots are unwilling participants in this uncontrolled global experiment in toxic contamination. It is obvious that we need far tougher regulations to protect the public from this growing risk to human health," said Simon Pepper, Director of WWF Scotland.

WWF is also offering practical advice on how to reduce the risk of exposure to these chemicals. Hazel may still be waiting for the results of her blood test but she is already much more aware of the hidden threat from chemicals that have already found their way into our bodies.

"Most folk just haven't thought about this, including me before I had this test. Now I take time to check just what is in the products that I am buying. I just hope that for the sake of my children, these chemicals are better controlled."