The body of evidence showing that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to health and environmental problems is growing. EDCs interfere with the hormone system and have been increasingly linked to a range of health problems including cancer, diabetes, behavioural and attention deficit disorders, reproductive disorders and impaired fertility in humans and wildlife.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals can be found in a wide range of everyday products, from food packaging and cosmetics to cash receipts, toys and electric cables.
In spite of their widespread use and the evidence of hazards to health, the EU has not yet properly regulated these substances. It is time to overcome the deadlock in European regulation regarding endocrine disrupting chemicals.
The European chemicals regulation, REACH, defines chemicals with very hazardous properties as Substances of Very High Concern. EU regulators have decided that the use of these substances should be strictly limited. However, the processes for doing so are moving very slowly and very few of the substances on today's REACH candidate list have been selected specifically for their endocrine disrupting properties.
SIN 2.0 shows the way forward
As always, the SIN List highlights substances that ChemSec has identified as Substances of Very High Concern in accordance with the criteria set up in REACH. The purpose of the SIN List is to speed up the REACH process and give guidance to companies on which chemicals they need to substitute.
The 2.0 version of the SIN List adds 22 new substances - all identified as Substances of Very High Concern solely due to their endocrine disrupting properties. This in accordance with REACH article 57f, the equivalent concern criteria. The SIN List now totals 378 substances.
There's an urgent need to reduce exposures of humans and wildlife from EDCs. By launching the 2.0 version of the SIN List, ChemSec encourage the European Commission and EU Member States to prioritise these substances for regulatory control through REACH, as well as encourage companies to start phasing them out.
