Women and their toxic world - !!!

[Guest guest]

Women and their toxic world.

http://www.wecf.de/cms/articles/2006/10/book_launch.php

Women and their families are exposed to man-made chemicals everywhere and

on a daily basis. These chemicals can be found in everyday consumer goods.

Many of them threaten our health. More than three hundred have been

detected in the human body. Increasingly, scientific research links them

to health disorders.

Published by Women in Europe for a Common Future.

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The professors in the following article sound as if they were bred in test

tubes designed by the American Chemical Council - then again, defending

investors' interests has long been a duty of many within universities.

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Chemical campaigns 'misleading'

By Morelle

Health reporter, BBC News

Leading toxicologists have warned green groups are " misleading " the public

with chemical contamination campaigns.

They said they are deliberately and unfairly scaring the public.

In particular, they criticised a WWF campaign that has highlighted the

presence of chemicals in blood, food and in babies' umbilical cords.

The scientists said the minute levels detected did not warrant the group's

focus on health dangers, but WWF has denied it was scare-mongering.

The message they are putting across is misleading, and deliberately so

Professor Coggon

The tests have formed part of WWF's campaign to strengthen proposed EU

legislation, called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of

Chemicals), on the testing and phasing out of chemicals.

They argue the presence of chemicals, such as musks (found in perfumes),

brominated flame retardants, and dioxins (a by-product of heating

processes), in the environment pose a danger to health in humans and

wildlife, and more stringent protective measures are needed.

But while many scientists believe monitoring levels of chemicals and the

phasing out of dangerous ones are vital, as is REACH, they say WWF and

other green groups have been playing on the public's fears to highlight

their campaigns.

Dose-response

Alistair Hay, professor of environmental toxicology from the University of

Leeds, said: " The presence of these things is a warning that we are

exposed to chemicals in the environment and we have to try and understand

what this means - but it is wrong to frighten people. "

While Coggon, professor of occupational and environmental health

from Southampton University, added: " The message they are putting across

is misleading, and deliberately so. "

According to Dr , of the Medical Research Council Toxicology

Unit, University of Leicester, it is the amount of a chemical present that

is key when considering toxicity.

We are weighing up the difference between alarm and ignorance - we are

not looking to scare-monger

Salter Green, WWF

And the researchers said the levels of the chemicals found in some of the

tests were extremely low - measured in parts per billion or parts per

trillion.

Although some of the chemicals were dangerous at high doses, they said,

one could not go on to assume that because a trace amount was detected it

posed a danger.

Dr said: " Any toxicologist will tell you that dose - the amount - is

the important thing.

" I would rather we didn't find these chemicals present, but trying to

ascribe toxicity to them is a different matter. "

Professor Coggon agreed: " One of the most important things in toxicology

is to look at how a person is exposed and how much of a substance they are

exposed to.

" The fact that you can detect something at all does not imply a material

risk to health. "

The researchers said the chemicals were being found in trace amounts

because of advances in detection techniques that could uncover substances

at ever smaller concentrations.

The researchers admitted there was uncertainty surrounding the effects of

some of the chemicals, but said just because it couldn't be confirmed

something was 100% safe this did not mean it was 100% dangerous.

Professor Sharpe, an expert in endocrine disrupters from the

Medical Research Council Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, in Edinburgh,

said: " By and large, I think people shouldn't be worried. Most chemicals

will not do any great harm at these very low levels. You have to put this

into perspective. "

Chemiphobia

Dr Emsley, a visiting professor at Manchester University, said the

word " chemical " had become a synonym for " toxic " , and that the public was

growing increasingly fearful of contamination, something he called

" chemiphobia " .

" I think the public are afraid because it is all about the unseen danger -

it is presented as something malevolent lurking below the surface. You

don't know what it is and you don't know what it does. It is a risk they

do not feel in control of. "

Salter Green, director of the WWF's toxic campaign, said: " I

think WWF's raison d'etre is to protect biodiversity. We feel that there

are certain drivers such as chemicals undermining future generations'

viability.

" We are keen that the core aim of REACH is maintained - to protect future

generations of humans and wildlife while not undermining the

competitiveness of the chemicals industry. "

She said she was concerned with possible health risks associated the

lifestyle exposure to different combinations of low-level chemicals, and

pointed to studies which revealed the chemicals were working together.

" We are weighing up the difference between alarm and ignorance - we are

not looking to scare-monger - we are looking to highlight an issue such

that the UK population are aware of exposures and to call for better

regulation. "

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/6040146.stm

Published: 2006/10/16 01:01:51 GMT

© BBC MMVI

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