25/05/2005 - Sampling
activists blood outside a Bayer chemical plant.
Previous test showed that chemicals produced
by companies like Bayer are in his blood.
To highlight this issue we attempted to return
the contaminated blood to Bayer because it
includes types of chemicals that Bayer produces
at the plant. It refused to accept the blood
sample.
Bisphenol-A. Doesn't sound very interesting
does it? In fact it's a widely used chemical
in mobile phones, baby bottles and CD's. Unfortunately
it's also a widespread toxic pollutant, even
being found in people's blood. We are trying
to get the producers and users of such toxic
chemicals to change to safer alternatives.
We have visited two of the major producers
of toxic chemicals at their plants in Belgium
to pressure them to produce safer chemicals
and support the inclusion of obligatory 'substitution
principle' (EU speak for swapping toxic chemicals
for safer ones) in upcoming European Chemical
Law (REACH).
To highlight just how widespread toxic chemicals
like Bisphenol-A are in the environment we
sampled the blood of the Campaign Director
of Greenpeace in Belgium, Wendel Trio in front
of the Bayer plant that produces Bisphenol-A.
Previous tests had revealed his blood is contaminated
with toxic chemicals including Bisphenol-A.
"I didn't know that my blood contained
chemicals which unknown to me could affect
some of my vital organs. It is the same for
many members of the public. I can only hope,
that a group such as Bayer which is involved
in health care would have the decency not
to increase this pollution," said Wendel.
When we tried to give back the blood sample
containing the very same chemical that Bayer
produces it refused to accept it. Seems they
are happy to produce and sell these chemicals
but not confront the pollution this causes?
Hazardous chemicals must urgently be replaced
with substances that present less or no danger,
if we are to avoid a possible future public
health problem.
"The proposal to make substitution of
hazardous chemicals a part of REACH is under
serious attack by a large part of the chemical
industry, which is trying to weaken the legislation,"
said Fawaz Al Bitar, Greenpeace Belgium toxics
campaigner. "Groups such as Bayer and
BASF should stand up and support the obligatory
substitution of problematic chemicals. We
are keenly awaiting their commitment. Companies
like H&M, Sony, Sony Ericsson, which use
chemicals in their manufacturing processes,
have led the way by committing to stop using
certain hazardous chemicals."
Groups such as Bayer and BASF are ignoring
this innovative line. The current legislative
proposal offers the double opportunity of
setting a level playing field for all industry
and encouraging a climate of innovation.
