'Contaminated' EU ministers

Blood taken from a handful of EU ministers is 'contaminated' with flame retardants, pesticides and other industrial chemicals according to test results published on Wednesday.

Green group WWF tested blood from 14 different EU health and environment ministers in June this year as part of a campaign to highlight high levels of dangerous chemicals in people's blood.

Flame retardants, pesticides and PCBs were among the total of 55 different chemicals detected in the blood samples.

The substances found include those used in fire-resistant sofas, non-stick pans, grease proof-pizza boxes, flexible PVC, fragrances and pesticides.

WWF argue that although only tiny traces of the chemicals were found, combined they can cause toxic effects.

"The ministers are all contaminated with industrial chemicals whose effects are largely unknown" said Karl Wagner, director of WWF's DetoX Campaign.

"It is hard to believe that legislators have been willing to allow this uncontrolled experiment to continue for so many years."

Fifty five chemicals were found in the blood tested - fifty three per cent of the 103 chemicals tested. Twenty five of the same chemicals were found in all the ministers: one flame retardant, two pesticides, and twenty two PCBs.

The long term or cumulative effects of such chemicals are still largely unknown, but environmentalists are campaigning to ban them, citing the EU's 'precautionary principle'.

The EU is currently pushing through a rethink of its chemicals policy, known as REACH (the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals).

The proposals to carry out checks - on safety grounds – of up to 30,000 chemicals in common usage have been attacked by industry.

Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the UK were among the countries taking part in the survey. 

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