Two new American studies confirm European results

Two new American studies further confirm the results of today’s flaws in the chemical regulation. Legislators need to start considering cumulative health effects of substances and be stricter in their treatment of persistent substances with proven health effects. 

There have been several reports of an increasing amount of dangerous, persistent chemical substances in humans. Now two new studies further confirm the hypotheses, the news is that these are American.

One of them concerns migration of chemical substances from food packaging into food. The regulation regarding food packaging disregard the so-called cocktail effect, the cumulative effects of different chemicals, and only consider each substance individually. Groups that are at particular risk are pregnant women, children and obese people due to their specific metabolisms. Know substances to be used in packaging are bisphenol A and different types of phthalates and endocrine disrupting chemicals. (Source: Muncke, J, Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2010:10)

The second article investigates 163 chemicals in pregnant women. The researches find that 99 to 100 percent of the pregnant women in the study carry all these chemicals. PCBs, organochlorine pesticide, PFCs, phenols and PBDEs were commonly occurring. Just like DDE, a breakdown product of DDT (pesticide banned in 1972). Some of these chemicals have proven disruptive effects individually even at low dosage, the compounded effect remains unkown. (Source: Woodruff, Zota & Schwartz, Environmenalt chemicals in pregnant women in the US NHANES 2003-2004. Environmental Health Perspectives)

These articles are another confirmation on the importance of considering the whole picture both when it comes to what chemical additives that are added into the substances and when evaluating the results. The current praxis of ”banning” substances by associating certain substances with a legislated maximum percentage concentration is ineffective, all it does is hide the toxins in the numbers. This makes it hard for manufacturers and consumers to make informed choices, potentially with high consequences.

We believe that awareness is crucial. It is achieved through researchers illuminating and confirming the problems and companies like Paxymer presenting alternative solutions. However without legislative pressure, widespread substitution will be slow.

/Amit Paul

MD Paxymer AB