Posted on November, 08 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