Chemical danger

Abstract

We recognise the positions and opinions of those interviewed by Robert Walgate for his World Report on the dangers of chemicals (July 10, p 129),1Walgate R Chemical danger.Lancet. 2004; 364: 129-130Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar but are concerned that the other sides of the often controversial points discussed were not presented. Far from having “ignored health for many years”, the chemical industry takes social concerns about the safety of its products very seriously. The industry works hard to fulfil its obligations under, for example, the European Union (EU) Existing Substances regulations,2Council of the European Communities Council regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of the 23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control of the risks of existing substances.http://ecb.jrc.it/Legislation/1993R0793EC.pdfGoogle Scholar but has also gone further through various voluntary initiatives. For instance, through the HERA (Human and Environmental Risk Assessment) project (http://www.heraproject.com) the industry is assessing the risks associated with household cleaning products, and the High Production Volume Chemicals Initiative (HPV; http://www.icca-chem.org) will provide hazard assessments for the 1000 highest production volume chemicals. Over the past 5 years, the industry has spent more than US$120 million globally through its Long-range Research Initiative (LRI; http://www.icca-chem.org). This independently undertaken research into the potential health and environmental effects of its products and operations includes health topics focused on children's development. Much of the industry's work is in close collaboration with the competent authorities. For example, we have worked with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to develop and validate methods to assess endocrine disrupting chemicals. With respect to public policy, the industry made an important constructive technical input to the EU Commission's Action Plan on Environment and Health,3Commission of the European Communities The European Environment and Health action plan 2004–2010.http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/health/pdf/com2004416.pdfGoogle Scholar which itself was a contribution to the WHO action plan agreed in Budapest.4WHO action plan agreed in Budapest4Google Scholar The industry contributes to the WHO International Programme for Chemicals Safety (IPCS; http://www.who.int/ipcs) and we are looking forward to working further with WHO on issues related to chemicals, including the development of precautionary policy. The Budapest conference highlighted some of the key findings of WHO with respect to children's health. Their study5Valent F Little D'A Bertollini R Nemer LE Barbone F Tamburlini G Burden of disease attributable to selected environmental factors and injury among children and adolescents in Europe.Lancet. 2004; 363: 2032-2039Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (112) Google Scholar estimates the burden of disease attributable to outdoor and indoor air pollution, inadequate water and sanitation, lead exposure, and injury across the WHO European region. The chemical industry makes products to alleviate many of these factors.