We need regulation to remove chemicals from the supply chain

Evidence suggests some everyday household chemicals are toxic, but without new regulations, manufacturers won't careThis is a guest post in part of a series of stories on chemicals of concern. Read the first article, which explores the question of whether US retailers are becoming regulators, as well as stories about new chemical policies by Walmart and Target. Arthur C Clarke wrote that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". Today, we scarcely have to look past our smartphone screens to find his proof. From supermarket shelves to the cushions on our stain-proof couches, technological magic surrounds us, and for that we must thank the wonders of chemistry.Virtually all of the materials we need and the luxuries we enjoy rely in some way on this remarkable science. But there is a dark side to our chemical dependency; we have produced such an extraordinary variety and quantity of chemicals so rapidly and with so few controls that they have now spread unseen into every corner of our increasingly contaminated environment. And we have learned too late that many of these chemicals are in our bodies (PDF) and may be making people sick.Recent scientific research has show that common chemicals can disrupt our endocrine or immune systems. Others can harm our brains, damage our reproductive abilities, or may even trigger cancer. Some even believe that chemical toxins are at least partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.Many companies have responded ad...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: Comment theguardian.com Supply Chain Sustainability Guardian sustainable business Chemistry Source Type: news