03/11/2005
- International — The European eel - not an everyday topic
of conversation. But our investigations have revealed that
the humble eel is contaminated with toxic chemicals. Adding
insult to injury, the eel is already vanishing from lakes
and rivers across Europe, and some of these toxic chemicals
look as if they might last longer than the species itself.
How do toxic chemicals with complicated names like brominated
flame retardants (BFRs) that are added to many textiles,
sofas, plastics, TV's and computers end up in eels? Politicians
tell us that chemicals are under control, but tell that
to an eel who is swimming in chemicals. Toxic chemicals
are out of control. Is this
contamination a problem for eels? No one knows for sure
but the evidence is mounting that BFRs and other toxics
have the potential to damage development and hormone systems
in humans and wildlife. Certainly for an eel already under
pressure, it's an extra dose of bad news. Some scientists
are concerned that these toxins could harm the eel's ability
reproduce or its young to survive.
With populations in some European
waters as low as 1 percent of historic levels, the eel
clearly doesn't need a toxic burden. For that matter neither
do we. BFRs can also contaminate our own blood, including
umbilical cord blood, exposing an unborn baby to manmade
hazardous chemicals while still in the womb.
In Europe a new law (called REACH)
is being drafted that attempts to protect human health
and the environment from the toxic contamination. REACH
would provide health and safety information currently
lacking for some 30,000 chemicals. A strong REACH would
drive the replacement or substitution of toxic chemicals
with safer alternatives.
But while eels might be slippery and
tricky to control they have nothing on the worst excesses
of the chemical industry. The vital proposed law has inspired
the biggest industrial lobbying assault ever seen in Europe.
The chemical industry is seeking to weaken it to the benefit
of industry and loss of protection for you and me. Chemical
industry associations from Europe, US and Asia have sent
armies of lobbyists to Brussels, spreading baseless scare
stories and employing delay tactics with any politician
would listen.
"Don't worry - we'll just test
a few"
Some EU politicians and governments
are now pushing the industry line, wrongly claiming the
law will cost jobs and must be "streamlined,"
made more "cost effective" and "workable."
These are industry weasel words for the seriously weakening
the law to everyone else. They propose allowing industry
to continue using 20,000 chemicals without basic health,
safety and environmental data information - that's 2/3
of the chemicals originally under the law!
Obviously the chemical industry and
certain politicians prefer to ignore past experiences
with toxic chemicals. Here again the eel can give them
a little lesson - in history. Many eels tested had high
levels of highly toxic PCB's - despite the fact they have
been banned since the 1970's in Europe. Past mistakes
in chemical regulation are not quickly resolved.
Protecting people or pandering to
profit?
The politicians of the European Union
have a unique opportunity to effective regulate chemical
pollution and set a strong worldwide precedent to protect
human health and the environment. Will they stand up for
the people who elected them or will they cave to in to
vested interests of the non-elected chemical industry? |
