Category: Uncategorized

The Female Face of Britain’s Asbestos Catastrophe by Laurie Kazan-Allen from The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat

Nowadays, Britain has the unwelcome distinction of having the world’s highest mortality rate from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Historically, male mesothelioma deaths have dominated the statistics with, at times, six times as many male as female fatalities. Considering the lower death rate amongst British women, it is of interest to note that so many of the landmark cases through which the national asbestos reality has been revealed relate to the tragic experiences of female victims. In factories and schools, at home and at work, British women have paid with their lives for the asbestos industry’s profits. More here

The results of a study carried out by the researchers of the Inserm unit 1018 (Centre for research in Epidemiology and Population Health) and published in the International Journal of Cancer show that the risk of developing breast cancer is higher among women who have worked at night. The study, carried out in France and named the CECILE study, compared the careers of 1200 women who had developed breast cancer between 2005 and 2008 with the careers of 1300 other women. More….

 

The UK should ignore economic pressure to water down a European ban on chemicals linked to disease states Andreas Kortenkamp.

A recent review of scientific literature commissioned by the European Environment Agency highlights the fact that Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) which disrupt the hormone system –  may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes and obesity, falling fertility, and an increased number of neurological development problems in both humans and animals.

Professor Kortenkamp asks, why:

“Considering the high stakes for human and wildlife health, and the vast costs of dealing with the diseases likely to be attributed to these chemicals, the UK authorities have to be more cautious. Even without the help of the HSE, industry is already lobbying hard for its own interests. Who in government lobbies equally hard for health protection and the environment”?

Its fair to say we know enough to act now on EDC’s by banning some outright and asking questions about “what level of proof should be required before the use of EDCs can be restricted? The EEA advocates a precautionary approach until the effects of these chemicals are better understood. By contrast, the chemical industry wants a high level of proof before imposing any restrictions.”

We’ve got to ask ourselves, is it worth risking our health, the health of our workplaces and our communities in order to continue to use these chemicals, many found in products that are superfluous to everyday life?

Read the original article here: Household Chemicals’ ‘cocktail effect’ raises cancer concerns for watchdog

And the opinion piece here: Harmful household chemicals must be banned – health before commerce