UNITED POISONS OF BENETTON AND PAMPERS! GREENPEACE FINDS TBT HORMONE POLLUTANT IN BABIES NAPPIES'

12 May 2000

BERLIN -- Greenpeace has found the hormone pollutant TBT (tributyl tin) in babies' nappies sold in Germany.

Procter & Gamble's Pampers "Baby Dry", the Paul Hartmann company's "Fixies Ultra Dry", and LedysanSpa's "United Colours of Benetton Junior unisex" brands are contaminated with TBT and other organotin compounds. This was proven by analyses made on Greenpeace's behalf.

Greenpeace activists protested today in front of the Ministry of Economy in Berlin and gave officials 500 nappies. They held a banner reading, "Attention: TBT Poison in Nappies!"

Contamination of these nappies ranged from 4.2 microgrammes of TBT per kilogram in the Benetton nappies, through to 4.7 mg TBT/kg in Fixies, and to 8.6 mg TBT/kg in Pampers. Other organotin compounds such as dibutyl tin and monobutyl tin were also found. These chemicals come from a part of the nappies which is in direct contact with babies' skin.

"TBT is one of the most toxic substances ever made, and it is being spread through the environment," says Greenpeace's toxics expert, Thilo Maack. "It can be absorbed through the skin and contaminates the environment as well as people. It is absolutely irresponsible to expose babies to these extremely toxic substances."

This environmental pollutant, which has been in the headlines for months because of its extremely high toxicity, has a hormone-like effect. The smallest concentrations of TBT can damage people's immune systems and impair their hormonal system. "The German government must ban this toxin in all areas of use immediately," says Thilo Maack.

Greenpeace last January found TBT in fish for human consumption and in March detected TBT in football shirts despite textile manufacturers declaring them safe again. Furthermore, TBT has recently been found in plastic PVC floorings.

Witco, a company in Bergkamen/Germany, produces 80 per cent of the TBT used in the world. The smallest quantities of TBT kill algae and mussels and for that reason it is used in ships' paints to stop their growth on hulls.

Greenpeace has been calling on the chemical and ship industries to ban TBT production or application. There are less harmful alternatives to TBT in all the spheres in which organotin compounds are used. Greenpeace is at present analysing other brands of nappies on sale in Germany. Its findings will be available next week.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Thilo Maack, mobile +49 40 1718780841;
- Dr. Thomas Henningsen, mobile +49 40 8780830;
- Press officer Stefan Krug, tel. +49 40 30618 344