The European Comission it could materialize a massive restriction of toxic products, the largest in history. This is a joint proposal by five countries (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) before the European Chemicals Agency (CHECK). The objective is to curb the use of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS).
The proposal was submitted to the European Chemicals Agency by these five countries in early January, but its details have been released in detail yesterday, February 7. It is planned that the ECHA expert committees carry out initial assessments in March, although in-depth scrutiny may take more than a year.
Photo de Rachel Claire.
Los PFAS They are a group of at least 4,700 different substances that are used in enormous quantities throughout the planet and that have been associated with serious effects on human health and nature.
For the person in charge of the initiative that promotes this campaign, Non-toxic homethe journalist specializing in toxic Carlos de PradaIt is a historical fact because
if nothing frustrates it, for the first time the EU could restrict hundreds or thousands of substances at once, in this specific case of the PFAS, instead of banning substances one by one as had been done up to now, which meant a struggle as colossal as it was fruitless against toxic”.
According to this expert, this new movement of the EU
can hinder one of the most damaging tricks in the industry, the so-called ‘regrettable substitution‘: by banning substances one by one, it was very easy for the industry to replace them with others of the same type but not yet regulated.
Substances that ultimately, all too often, have ended up having similar effects the worst than those they replaced.
However, De Prada warns that
It remains to be seen how this proposed restriction materializes, because there is a risk, for example, that, taking advantage of a false door in the regulation, the use of many of them can continue to be allowed, alleging alleged essential uses”.
Exposed for decades to come
As pointed out by Hogar sin tóxicos, which collaborates with the European Environment Office (BSE) in the fight against toxic substances, PFAS have been dubbed “forever pollutants” (forever chemicals) for its high persistence in organisms and the environment.
Photo: Anna Shvets.
For this reason, it is urgent to prohibit these substances, since even if they were banned today, we will continue to be exposed to them for decades and suffer their effects in the future, given their high persistence and character bioaccumulative.
The main source of human exposure to PFAS is through dietlargely due to bioaccumulation in aquatic and terrestrial food chains, although for example materials in food contact.
They can be found at food packaging paper and cardboard (for example, takeout containers, popcorn bags, boxes of pizzaprepared cakes, etc.).
Also in utensils cocina nonstick, textiles (for example, impermeable and/or greaseproof clothing and equipment, carpets, mattresses, etc.), cosmetics (for example, hair conditioner, foundation cream, sunscreen, etc.), electronics (for example, smartphones), etc.
Good news that we will see if the lobbies of affected industries fail to “smooth out”.