In our initial comments on the new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, our Executive Director Michael Warhurst said today: "CHEM Trust welcomes the European Commission’s new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, published today, however it is important that the new commitments in the strategy are rapidly transformed into action in the real world. This strategy has the … [Read more...] about CHEM Trust welcomes the European Commission’s new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability
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Chemicals need to be regulated upstream to address chemical pollution in rivers
The news came as a shock: 100% of England’s rivers failed the pollution test. On 17th September, the Environment Agency published the results of their 2019 assessment required under the Water Framework Directive of 4,679 rivers, lakes, estuaries and other surface water bodies: 0% received good chemical status. Not one met the legal water quality standards. Chemical pollution … [Read more...] about Chemicals need to be regulated upstream to address chemical pollution in rivers
Michael Gove claimed it would be ‘better’, but in reality the UK’s BREACH is in crisis
At the start of September, the UK Government announced changes to the framework for its post-Brexit chemicals regulatory system, British REACH, or ‘BREACH’ *, which will deregulate the new system before it has even started to operate. Chemical and other companies have been complaining about the cost and burden of having to re-register their chemicals in BREACH, which they … [Read more...] about Michael Gove claimed it would be ‘better’, but in reality the UK’s BREACH is in crisis
PFAS in German children: Human biomonitoring data highlight urgent need for group restriction
An official German human biomonitoring survey of children and adolescents has found harmful per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in the blood of children and adolescents in Germany; including substances that have already been phased out in the EU and globally. Some chemicals were present in the blood of some of the children, even though the chemicals had been … [Read more...] about PFAS in German children: Human biomonitoring data highlight urgent need for group restriction
A new approach to protect people and wildlife from endocrine disruptors
Today, CHEM Trust published a policy proposal on a new path to protect people and wildlife across Europe from endocrine disruptors (EDs). The proposal, if implemented, would lead to: Rapid and improved identification of substances with ED properties. Strict control of substances with ED properties to avoid or minimize exposure. Full transparency and easily … [Read more...] about A new approach to protect people and wildlife from endocrine disruptors
Better protection from hazardous chemicals: actions needed in Europe’s new strategy
The European Green Deal aims to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy and aims at restoring biodiversity and cutting pollution. This requires a strong new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability that puts words into action and adopts tools to deliver on the Commission’s Zero Pollution Ambition for a toxic-free environment. CHEM Trust's … [Read more...] about Better protection from hazardous chemicals: actions needed in Europe’s new strategy
COVID-19: The view from CHEM Trust
The Environmental Funder's Network (EFN) invited CHEM Trust to tell them about the impact of the pandemic on their work. The below blog was written by CHEM Trust's co-founder Elizabeth Salter Green, and first appeared on the EFN website on 8th June 2020. The pandemic has not changed the rationale for CHEM Trust’s work: the global threat of chemicals, particularly hormone … [Read more...] about COVID-19: The view from CHEM Trust
New endocrine disruptors website is a welcome step to inform EU consumers and businesses
A new website compiling lists of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has just been launched by a collaboration of authorities in Denmark, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Sweden. The webpage contains three separate lists of EDCs. one listing substances officially identified as EDCs in the EU (list I), one listing substances under evaluation for endocrine … [Read more...] about New endocrine disruptors website is a welcome step to inform EU consumers and businesses
Future EU-UK cooperation on chemicals: analysing the UK’s proposal
On the 19th May, the UK Government published its draft legal text for a free trade agreement with the EU, along with a number of annexes, including one on chemicals. This annex leaves open the possibility of sharing chemical safety data, which we view as positive; though it provides no clues as to what preconditions the UK would be prepared to accept in return for such access. … [Read more...] about Future EU-UK cooperation on chemicals: analysing the UK’s proposal
High time for the EU to protect us from exposure to chemical mixtures
In real life we are all exposed to hundreds of chemicals from multiple sources including from food, consumer products, household dust and drinking water. The environment - rivers, oceans and countryside - is also polluted by hundreds of different substances, including pesticides, plasticisers, flame retardants and pharmaceuticals. However, current safety assessments of … [Read more...] about High time for the EU to protect us from exposure to chemical mixtures