08 Nov
2006 - Leading medical journal 'The Lancet' calls
for the EU's draft REACH regulation to protect
unborn children against possible brain-development
disorders caused by industrial chemicals. The
author of the new paper, Dr Philippe Grandjean
from the University of Southern Denmark, concludes
that exposure to industrial chemicals such as
pesticides and solvents could cause neurodevelopment
disorders in one in every six children. The disorders
would include autism, learning disabilities, sensory
defects, mental retardation and abnormal muscle
tone disorder (cerebral palsy).
As the Lancet paper explains,
a few industrial chemicals such as lead and PCBs
are recognised causes of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Exposure to these chemicals during early fetal
development can cause brain injury at doses much
lower than those affecting adults. Exposure limits
for chemicals should therefore be set at values
that recognise the unique sensitivity of pregnant
women and young children, and they should aim
to protect brain development.
As the new EU chemicals law
(REACH) is going through its final stage, Dr Grandjean
warned in an interview with EU affairs web portal
Euractive that the draft REACH regulation would
fail to address the issue properly. He said: "REACH
is incomplete because it does not take neurodevelopmental
disorders into account". As he explains,
"of the chemicals most commonly used in commerce,
fewer than half have been subjected to even token
laboratory testing. The few substances proven
to be toxic to human neurodevelopment should therefore
be viewed as the tip of a very large iceberg".
He concludes that "the problem is serious
enough to get started. This is a typical case
where the precautionary principle should apply".
For more information on this story, please see
http://www.thelancet.com
