Guest guest Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 > JustSayNo > Fri, 2 Jul 2004 22:11:46 -0400 > [sSRI-Research] Chemicals in Kids > > The Scientist, July 1st 2004 > Chemicals in kids new WHO foe > > " Ministers call for 'decisive action,' while the > chemical industry says WHO threatens business " | By > Robert Walgate > > BUDAPEST - At a meeting of European health ministers > here last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) > moved action against synthetic chemicals that affect > child development higher on the global health > agenda. > > Scientists said action was overdue, with tens of > thousands of novel chemicals of unknown effect > circulating in our bodies, but chemical industry > representatives told The Scientist the new stance > could delay chemical research and development by 15 > years, and raise issues of international competition > and equity. > > Philip Landrigan of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, > NY, said in a scientific meeting at the Budapest > summit that " children are very heavily exposed to an > enormous number of synthetic chemicals that have > been invented in the last 30 to 50 years, that > didn't even exist before, that are widespread in the > environment, and present in children's bodies and > mother's milk. " > > While the toxic effects of a few, like lead and > methyl mercury, are now known, the impact of most > remains unknown, Landrigan said. A massive new > research effort will be needed to identify the > safety or dangers of the others, he argued. > > At the meeting, under the aegis of the WHO European > region, the ministers of health and environment of > 52 countries from Ireland to Uzbekistan issued a > declaration calling strongly for more research on > these substances. > > Ministers said: " Decisive action should be taken > without undue delay to overcome the gaps in > knowledge about the effects of chemicals on human > health and to achieve sustainable development in the > chemical industry. " > > Ministers cautiously supported WHO in a widespread > and stronger use of the " precautionary principle, " > which is employed by the European Union and others > to suspend production of chemicals in which initial > evidence shows risk. > > Some scientists at the Budapest meeting, like > Philippe Grandjean of the Institute of Public > Health, University of Southern Denmark, likened the > chemical industry to the tobacco industry. > > But Marc Danzon, Regional Director of WHO Euro told > The Scientist: " I think the chemical industry > ignored health for many years and has been a bit > stressed by what's happening with the tobacco > industry. But we don't consider the chemical or food > industry to be the same as the tobacco industry. > Tobacco gives nothing positive to health. You can't > say that for the chemical industry. " > > Danzon wants constructive dialogue but said, " WHO > will maintain our position as the advocates for > health… Health cannot be negotiated. The dangers > should be known, and we cannot be weak on that… If > they want to locate themselves [like the tobacco > industry], it's up to them. But we are not at all in > the same configuration. " > > Colin Humphris, executive director for research at > the European Chemical Industries Council, told The > Scientist: " Industry experience is that at the > technical level we get cooperation, " with government > and regulatory bodies such as those of the European > Union. " This is a different sort of political > debate, " he said. > > Humphris acknowledged that " there are gaps in the > data sheets on some chemicals and there are issues > over quality of data for others—but the industry > has a voluntary program to fill those gaps for the > 1000 top-tonnage chemicals. That's a big fraction of > chemical production, " he said. > > The combination of public concern and the new WHO > position means " the chemical industry is headed to > be like the pharmaceutical industry, " Humphris said. > " They go through all the various phases of trials, > which take typically 15 years to get approval. So > the first thing you'll see is that some of our > technological development will become long term. " > > But drugs and chemicals have some specific > differences, Humphris said. " Largely pharmaceuticals > are being given in known doses to a known and > defined population. And even so, unknown risks arise > later, like breast cancer and HRT. The issue for the > chemical industry is we don't have control over > exposure. What a child might be exposed to is very > difficult for our industry to handle. " > > " This has a way to run… There are a lot of > potentially conflicting issues here, " Humphris said. > > > Links for this article > Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and > Health: The Future for Our Children, Hungary, June > 23–25 > http://www.euro.who.int/budapest2004 > > Philip Landrigan > http://www.cdc.gov/eis/about/landrigan.htm > > World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe > http://www.euro.who.int/ > > Philippe Grandjean > http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/PhilippeGrandjean.html > > > European Chemical Industry Council > http://www.cefic.be/ > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.