UK:Chlorine Chemicals-Human Reproduction Problems

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> CHLORINE CHEMICALS DISRUPTING HUMAN REPRODUCTION - SAYS

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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> CHLORINE CHEMICALS DISRUPTING HUMAN REPRODUCTION - SAYS
GREENPEACE

LONDON, May 31 1995 (GP) The ability of humans to reproduce is
being threatened by the continued release of a group of man-made
chemicals called organochlorines, says a report released today by
Greenpeace.

Infertility, birth defects and altered levels of sex hormones
are some of the case histories cited in the report "Body of
Evidence- the effects of chlorine on human health".

This is the first assessment of all the current evidence on  the
effects of organochlorines on human health.  Looked at  together,
the evidence is overwhelming that organochlorines  can cause
damage to human reproductive systems, from the womb to adulthood.


Organochlorines, which interfere with crucial hormone levels  in
the body, can now be measured in the blood, breast milk,  muscle
and body fat of people the world over.

On 8th\9th June Ministers meet at the North Sea Conference in
Denmark to discuss eliminating organochlorines from the marine
environment.  "If urgent action isn't taken to ban
organochlorines we are not only threatening the environment  but
risking the very future of the human race.  At the North  Sea
Conference Ministers have to make a choice between the  future of
our children's health and our ability to reproduce,  or the right
of companies to use our seas and the wider
environment as their own dumping ground," says Bob Edwards
Greenpeace Campaigner.

Organochlorines are produced in large quantities by such
multinationals as ICI, Dow, Elf Atochem, Akzo, and Solvay.  They
are used widely in PVC plastics, solvents and pulp and  paper
production.  They are now found throughout the global
environment, from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

EuroChlor, the chlorine industry federation in Europe, is
actively sabotaging attempts to get organochlorines banned at
the North Sea Conference by exerting pressure on all the North
Sea States.

In the last 50 years the incidence of human reproductive
problems has risen dramatically.  Evidence is now overwhelming
that organochlorines are a major factor in the following wide
range of problems.

*  The unborn foetus is most vulnerable to the effects of  toxic
chemicals.  Exposure to organochlorines during pregnancy
can cause:  reproductive effects, foetal death and spontaneous
abortion, low birth weight, effects on intelligence and
behavioral problems.

*  Sperm counts in men have fallen dramatically.  Two recent
European studies have shown a fall of 2 per cent a year over  the
past 20 years.  The quality of sperm is also getting  worse, with
sperm mobility declining and the proportion of  abnormal sperm
rising.

*  The incidence of testicular cancer has increased over the
last 50 years on a worldwide scale.  During the same period,  the
incidence of undescended testicles and urethral abnormalities has
also been reported to have increased in some  countries.

*  Women's reproductive problems have increased dramatically
over the past 50 years in industrialised countries.  Girls are
reaching puberty earlier; cases of endometriosis, and of  cancers
of the breast, and other reproductive cancers are  rising, as are
cases of infertility.

Many organochlorines are toxic at any concentration, however
small, and they are known to accumulate in the tissues of  living
organisms.  Already their role in the decimation of  wildlife
populations has been recognised.  Now the human  population is
also at risk. As well as effects on the
reproductive system, organochlorines have been implicated in
damage to the immune system, the nervous system and cancer.

"This report shows that many organochlorines can disturb
hormones and other bio-chemical processes in the body.  This
means that they cause a diverse array of adverse effects,
particularly on the next generation" says Dr Michelle Allsopp,
author of the report.   "Must we wait until we are no longer
able to reproduce before we take action to eradicate these
chemicals?"

ENDS

Contact: Cindy Baxter, Greenpeace Communications, 44-71-833-0600
Bob Edwards, Greenpeace UK, 44-0171-354-5100