Chemicals and Women- So what is the problem? WOMEN FOR A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE Polish Women´s Seminar & Workshop Monday 6th of December 2004, Warsaw Daniela Rosche daniela [email protected]Women in Europe for a Common Future International Policy Coordinator
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Chemicals and Women- So what is the problem? WOMEN FOR A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE Polish Women´s Seminar & Workshop Monday 6th of December 2004, Warsaw Daniela.
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Chemicals and Women- So what is the problem?
WOMEN FOR A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE Polish Women´s Seminar & Workshop
Monday 6th of December 2004, Warsaw
Daniela Rosche [email protected] in Europe for a Common Future International Policy Coordinator
• What kind of chemicals are we talking about• Chemicals are everywhere• Why this is a problem• What kind of health effects many man-made
chemicals have• Example: Bisphenol A• Why women are especially affected • Information gap-regulation in EU• New EU legislation- REACH• Why REACH needs strong support of Women
(and Men)
Synthetic Chemicals
• Synthetic – man-made not natural• Manufactured/industrial chemicals as a result of
large scale production- 400 Mio t per year• Come in contact via food, inhalation, through skin• Hazardous chemicals
– Persistent: e.g., plastic bags on the alps– Bioaccumulative: accumulates in your body– Toxic: depending on dose – or not?– Carcinogens– Endocrine disrupters
Chemicals in Every Day Life-A chemical world?
• Chemicals in consumer products:– Cosmetics, perfumes, body care– Household paint– Plastic toys/ other plastic equipment– Non-stick frying pans– Electrical appliances– PCs– Compact disks– Textiles– Food– Cleaning products
Silent, invisible pollutionWithout our consent or knowledge
Health effects linked to synthetic chemicals
Disrupt the hormone system &
reproductive system
Toxic to the immune system
Affect the nervous system
Allergies Respiratory diseases
Cancer
Example: Bisphenol A
• Where?: baby feeding bottles, flooring, nail polish, compact disks, adhesiveselectrical & electronic appliances, lining of tin cans
• What: damages immune system, nervous
system, reproductive system, linked to breast
cancer
• Health effects in animals detected, 2500 times lower than USEPA “lowest observed dose effect”