A group of 38 scientists signed a letter on 20 November calling for the EU to tighten scrutiny of hormone disrupting chemicals and other toxic substances under REACH.
The scientists expressed concern that the REACH draft as supported by the Council of Ministers requires a too-high burden of proof before hormone-disrupting chemicals can enter the REACH evaluation process.
"Authorities would have to wait until the damage is done before they can take any action," said conservation group WWF, which publicised the scientist’s call as part of its DetoX campaign.
In a letter, the scientists say precautionary action against hormone disrupters is justified because they “can act in an additive manner” when combined together “even though, in isolation such substances may be judged unlikely to cause serious effects at current exposure levels”.
The debate over the actual risk posed by chemicals for human health remains hotly disputed.
"There are still a lot of uncertainties on the direct and indirect link between chemicals and certain diseases as prestigious scientists still contradict other prestigious scientists," said the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC).
In a related move, the European Chemicals Industry Council (CEFIC) on 15 November opened the third phase of its Long-Range Research Initiative (LRI) programme to increase the understanding of the potential impact of chemicals on health and the environment.
The latest LRI initiative focuses on three priority themes facing the chemicals industry:
- Tools for effective risk assessment;
- dealing with environment and health complexity, and;
- new science relating to individual susceptibility and trans-generational effects.
