TOXIC CONTAMINATION IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTS BUT ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS STILL FAIL TO ACT

8 March 2001

Brussels: Greenpeace stepped up its demands for European Environment Ministers to tackle Europe's chemical pollution problem today after new Greenpeace research showed that even their own parliament buildings are contaminated with toxic substances (1). The EU Environment Council is scheduled to start discussing the White Paper on chemicals in Brussels today which, in its current form, fails to adequately protect the public from toxic contamination (2).

"Toxic pollution doesn't only contaminate areas around industrial discharge pipes and smoke stacks but leaches out of the everyday products we use in our homes, our offices and even in the corridors of power where the decision to ban these pollutants should be made," said Greenpeace scientist Dr. Paul Johnston. "This study shows that we are all exposed to these toxic chemicals every day as they're in the air we breathe and even contaminate our skin when we touch them, " he added.

Greenpeace analysed house dust from eight European Parliaments and found significant levels of toxic chemicals that leach from everyday consumer products such as computers, mobile phones and furnishings. Contamination levels were consistently high in the Dutch Parliament, while the German Reichstag rated highest for organotins and Italy's Parlamento for some brominated flame retardants.

"These chemicals are accumulating in our bodies and can cause cancers, endometriosis and disrupt the hormone system. Until the EU put its house in order and eliminates them once and for all, we'll continue to be given a daily dose courtesy of the chemical industry," said Greenpeace toxics campaigner Wytze van der Naald.

Brominated flame retardants are used as fire retardants in electronic equipment found in millions of homes and offices, such as the electronic boards in computers, televisions and mobile phones. They are also used in plastics, furnishings, carpets and textiles. Organotins are commonly used as stabilisers in plastics, such as PVC.

The EU and 15 European countries agreed to eliminate organotins and brominated flame retardants, as well as other toxic chemicals, in 1998 when it adopted the OSPAR strategy on hazardous substances (3). Despite this commitment, it has since failed to take serious action and it remains unclear whether the new chemical policy will even include these chemicals for elimination.

Greenpeace wrote to EU Commissioner, Margaret Wallstrom, and European environment ministers this week acknowledging the fact that the White Paper is a step in the right direction but stressing that, in its current form, it is not nearly enough to protect the public and environment from chemical pollution.

"Any policy that fails to protect people's health and the environment from these and other toxic chemicals is a failure," said van der Naald. "The environment ministers must agree to eliminate all chemicals that are a potential threat to health or the environment. The EU must stop bowing to pressure from the chemical industry and solve this crisis," he added.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Wytze van der Naald, Greenpeace toxics campaigner, on + 31 20 523 6209
Dr. Paul Johnston, Greenpeace Science Unit on + 44 1392 263 782
Matilda Bradshaw, Greenpeace International press desk, on + 31 20 524 9545
Lorenzo Consoli, Greenpeace EU media officer, Brussels, + 32 496 12 21 12

(1) Samples were taken from Parliament Buildings in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.

Sub- samples were sent to the laboratories of the Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO) for analysis of the finely sieved fraction for brominated flame retardants and to the GALAB laboratory in Germany for analysis of organotins.

Organotins were tested in samples from all eight countries. Brominated flame retardants were tested in 5 of the 8 countries (Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden). All tested samples showed significant levels of these toxic substances.

The report and full results are available in pdf format here:
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/eudust.pdf

(2) A full Greenpeace critique of the EU chemical White Paper is available here:
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/euwpcrit.pdf

(3) Brominated flame retardants and organotins are both groups of persistent organic pollutants which have been prioritised for elimination under the OSPAR strategy for hazardous substances. The EU has not yet adopted any measures against organotins or brominated flame retardants in consumer products. In the context of the Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), only restrictions of two groups of brominated flame retardants have been proposed.

A global ban by the International Marine Organisation on organotins use in antifouling paint on ships hulls is expected to be adopted in October. However, so far Germany is the only European country that is proposing to ban some (but not all) other uses of organotins.