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Managing the systemic use of chemicals in Europe
Chemicals are embedded in practically every single manufactured good in the EU. On the one hand, chemicals play a key role in ensuring quality of life and offer new solutions to deliver the green and the digital transitions. On the other, our increasing reliance on chemicals leads to serious problems. From creating adverse health effects to contributing to the climate crisis, chemicals come with a cost — so much so that we have now exceeded the planetary boundary for chemical pollution. Where do we go from here? This briefing describes the systemic use of chemicals across Europe’s current systems of production and consumption. Moreover, it discusses key policy measures foreseen in the European Green Deal’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability that offer significant potential to ensure consumer safety, cut pollution and clean up material flows.
Chemicals in European waters
This report’s aim is to improve understanding of which chemicals continue to pose significant risks to the environment, especially when they are present in water. It also looks at how better knowledge and understanding can help to improve controls to minimise harm. The report gives an overview of information about pollutants used in the assessment of water quality under the Water Framework Directive, and describes some of the newer techniques available for the assessment of water quality.
Environment and health
Artificial meat and the environment
An appealing innovation with highly uncertain potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable more sustainable use of natural resources.
Ozone-depleting substances 2020
Man-made ozone-depleting substances destroy the protective ozone layer and the international community established the Montreal Protocol in 1987 to cut their consumption and production. To fulfil its obligations under the Montreal Protocol, the EU has adopted the more ambitious EU Ozone Regulation. This briefing contains information on ozone-depleting substances in the EU, based on aggregated data reported by companies since 2006 under the Ozone Regulation.
SOLUTIONS project output simulating the impact of chemical mixtures on a potentially affected fraction of species (msPAF) and highlighting regions where there could be significant chemical pollution pressure on freshwater species
This map shows a mixture toxicity metric called multi-substance Potentially Affected Fraction of species (msPAF). For individual substances, the Potentially Affected Fraction of species (PAF) is derived from the results from laboratory toxicity tests, as the fraction of the tested species that would show effects if a laboratory test would be performed with a given concentration of the chemical. To this end, the results from laboratory tests have been converted beforehand into a species sensitivity distribution (SSD). The individual PAFs are then combined into an msPAF using the dose-addition principle. For this map, toxicity tests have been used that seek to quantify the no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC). The use of this endpoint links the result to the regulatory concept of “sufficient protection” of aquatic ecosystems. The above has been applied to the simulated concentrations of 1,785 chemicals on 365 consecutive days, and the 95 percentile of the results per site have been mapped.
Trends in fertiliser input per hectare (1992–2002)
Trends in fertiliser input per hectare (1992–2002)
Trends in the risk and use of chemical pesticides in the EU-27, 2011-2020
The European Commission has developed a set of risk indicators on chemical pesticides to track progress towards the Zero Pollution and Farm to Fork target for pesticide reduction. These indicators show that the risk and use of pesticides has decreased by 14% since the baseline period in 2015-2017.
Trends of flame-retardants in mothers milk monitored in Sweden
Trends of flame-retardants in mothers milk monitored in Sweden
North European gas pipeline
North European gas pipeline
PCB levels found in human blood samples from Arctic people
PCB (as Arochlor 1260) concentrations in blood of mothers and women of child-bearing age.
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) in German human plasma - Some results from the German Environmental Specimen Bank
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) in German human plasma - Some results from the German Environmental Specimen Bank
Percentage of samples from the most commonly consumed food groups in Europe complying with legislation on pesticide residue levels
The diagram presents the percentage of samples from the most commonly-consumed food groups in Europe that were compliant with pesticide residues below or equal to the legal limit, higher than the legal limit or non-compliant.
PFC concentrations in surface water (5m) in the North Sea, August 2005
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Production of chemicals
The bar graphic compares current (2005) and projected (2015 and 2030) chemicals production for 3 world regions in USD. The map precise the regions considered: OECD countries (darker blue), BRIICS countries (red), and rest of the world (pale blue).
Production of toxic chemicals in the European Union *
* = Confidential data have been excluded, but make no significant difference to the result
Production volumes of industrial chemicals relative to GDP for EU-15 Member-States 1995-2005
The indicator is compiled for 168 toxic chemicals using production quantities collected pursuant to the Prodcom Regulation (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3924/91 on the establishment of a Community survey of industrial production)
Progress per management step
Progress in the management of contaminated sites between 2006 and 2011, expressed per management step and against established targets where relevant