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Late lessons II Chapter 8 - Vinyl chloride a saga of secrecy: Located in Publications › Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation › Chapters
Air Pollution: harmful particles: The European Commission wants to further reduce air pollution in Europe. Although the situation has improved substantially over the last few decades, there are still significant areas of concern with regard to certain pollutants that are particularly harmful to human health (respiratory diseases) and damaging to the environment (acidification, eutrophication, etc.). The anti-pollution programme that the Commission has launched to that effect is called the “Clean Air for Europe” or CAFE programme.
Located in Environmental topics › Air pollution › Multimedia
Increase in cancers and fertility problems may be caused by household chemicals and pharmaceuticals: Chemicals which disrupt the hormone system – also known as 'endocrine disrupting chemicals' (EDCs) – may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes and obesity, falling fertility, and an increased number of neurological development problems in both humans and animals, according to a review of recent scientific literature commissioned by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
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Part A - Lessons from health hazards: Part A commences with an analysis of 'false positives' showing that these are few and far between as compared to false negatives and that carefully designed precautionary actions can stimulate innovation, even if the risk turns out not to be real or as serious as initially feared.
Located in Publications › Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation
The cost of ignoring the warning signs - EEA publishes ‘Late Lessons from Early Warnings, volume II’: New technologies have sometimes had very harmful effects, but in many cases the early warning signs have been suppressed or ignored. The second volume of Late Lessons from Early Warnings investigates specific cases where danger signals have gone unheeded, in some cases leading to deaths, illness and environmental destruction.
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Various human health risks in relation to development and economic growth and Causes of death: Top graph: From traditional to modern health risks, this “health transition” scheme describes the relation between development and health, distinguishing behavioural risks and the correlated diseases and death causes. Some risks are specifically related to developing countries (blue part of the scheme), others are typically worrying in developed countries (brown part) and some occur everywhere (blue and brown intersection). Bottom graph: Comparison between 2008 and 2030 projected causes of death for 2 income groups.showing the growing projected imoortance of cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
REACH: A new regulation for chemical substances: The new European law known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) was adopted by the Member States and the European Parliament and has entered into force in June 2007. By tabling this new legislation, the European Commission demonstrated its determination to protect Europeans' health and the environment. Indeed, recent scientific research has demonstrated that certain chemicals enter and accumulate in living organisms, including humans. While all substances placed on the market after 1981 have been tested to assess their safety, that is not the case for the tens of thousands of chemicals marketed before that date. That is why the European Union has developed this ambitious new Regulation on chemicals, one of the key sectors of the European economy.
Located in Environmental topics › Chemicals › Multimedia
Controlling chemicals - Protecting human health and the environment: Chemicals are a fact of modern life: almost all the products we use on a daily basis are either made from them or contain them. But without proper controls, they can be dangerous. Unsurprisingly, Europe’s lawmakers have always taken an extremely serious approach towards policies surrounding chemicals. As a result, EU citizens benefit from some of the toughest chemicals safety laws in the world.
Located in Environmental topics › Chemicals › Multimedia
Health risks from mobile phone radiation – why the experts disagree: Mobile phones and other digital devices are now a big part of modern life – but are they dangerous? There were an estimated 5.3 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide by the end of 2010, so if mobile phone use is linked to head cancers, the implications are immense. We look at the scientific uncertainty in this area, and what this means for policy.
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The impacts of endocrine disrupters on wildlife, people and their environments – The Weybridge+15 (1996–2011) report: Rates of endocrine diseases and disorders, such as some reproductive and developmental harm in human populations, have changed in line with the growth of the chemical industry, leading to concerns that these factors may be linked. For example, the current status of semen quality in the few European countries where studies have been systematically conducted, is very poor: fertility in approximately 40 % of men is impaired. There is also evidence of reproductive and developmental harm linked to impairments in endocrine function in a number of wildlife species, particularly in environments that are contaminated by cocktails of chemicals that are in everyday use. Based on the human and wildlife evidence, many scientists are concerned about chemical pollutants being able to interfere with the normal functioning of hormones, so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), that could play a causative role in these diseases and disorders. If this holds true, then these 'early warnings' signal a failure in environmental protection that should be addressed.
Located in Publications