Most of the 21,000 most commonly used chemicals in Europe are unknown whether they pose a threat to public health. Crucial information about the substances, such as the extent to which they are carcinogenic or toxic, is either not provided or insufficiently provided by manufacturers for a central European database. Chemical companies are thus violating European and national environmental legislation: submitting information is in fact mandatory.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) calls the amount of substances for which information is missing very worrying. The fact that that information is not there could pose a public health risk, says Martijn Beekman, who monitors the database on behalf of the RIVM. "We simply cannot rule out now that important information is missing for some hazardous substances."
Information on risks missing
The so-called REACH database(Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) was created to make clear quickly and for everyone what risks may be attached to certain chemicals. This information can then be used to protect consumers and people who have to work with them. For example, through labelling.
That the REACH database can be useful was demonstrated by the case about the chemical GenX. Within hours after it became known in 2016 that the toxic stuff was discharged by the company Chemours in Dordrecht, the authorities had access to almost all relevant information.
The chemicals involved are found in dyes, (finishing) detergents, adhesives and paints, among others. But also in numerous industrial applications such as making plastics, furniture and building materials. Via industry, these substances also end up in consumer products, such as cosmetics.
The gap in the database was described in a report by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) back in February. The German Environment Agency and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recently discovered that the problem is even bigger: they reviewed 6,000 dossiers on the most commonly used chemicals in Europe and concluded that 69 per cent of registered substances lack information.
Expensive tests seem to be the reason for the lack of information. Indeed, these are costs that chemical manufacturers pay for, says Beekman. He concludes after studying the German report that manufacturers are breaking the law.
According to the REACH regulation, adopted by the European Parliament in 2006, manufacturers must provide information on their products. Yet even those chemicals for which crucial safety information is missing are simply placed on the market by manufacturers.
Beekman: "This is because the information supplied is not substantively assessed by the authorities before the substance is put on the market. Nor is it the case that companies are no longer allowed to supply if they default. This is in contrast to, for example, the authorisation of plant protection products."
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) does send notification to manufacturers if it notices that information in the database is missing, but the institute itself is not allowed to act. Member states have to do that.
