Chemical Pollution
Touches Everything
Chemical pollution is changing the foundation on which our ecosystems function, impacting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the crops we eat. It is this inescapable and intrinsic link across all aspects of life that makes chemical pollution relevant to so many of the global challenges we now face.
Everyone needs safer chemicals
From the moment we wake up on our flame–resistant mattress, throw off our easy iron bed sheets and fry up some eggs in our non-stick pans, to the time we wash off the days grime with soap and climb back into bed, we’re in contact with industrial chemicals. Many of these chemicals makes our lives safer and healthier, but when the wrong chemical gets in the wrong place, then it’s a problem. It’s a problem for wildlife, for the environment, for our health and for our economy.
Preventing Chemical Pollution
There are many chemicals that vastly improve our society, and that are used in essential and life-saving functions all across the world. Chemical innovation can improve our health, help us combat the climate crisis, produce green energy and sustainable supply chains. But, many chemicals have the potential to cause serious harm, and we must be able to rely on stringent chemical management systems to protect us from this.
Where are we now?
- All monitored rivers and lakes in England are polluted and the number of water pollution incidents is rising (almost 7,600 in 2019)1Bevan J. The state of our waters: the facts. Environment Agency; 2020.
- Wildlife populations in the UK and abroad are being devastated by the dual threats of climate and the toxic chemicals that are now part of our everyday life2Malaj E, von der Ohe PC, Grote M, et al. Organic chemicals jeopardize the health of freshwater ecosystems on the continental scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2014;111(26):9549. doi:10.1073/pnas.1321082111.
- In 2019, 75% of chemicals produced across the EU were classified as hazardous to health and/or the environment3Chemsec. ECHA’s 5-year review paints dark picture – but there is hope. 2021. https://chemsec.org/echas-5-year-review-paints-dark-picture-but-there-is-hope/.
- 18% of consumer products in the EU contain illegal amounts of restricted chemicals, with 20% of children’s toys containing banned phthalates4European Chemicals Agency. Report on the Operation of REACH and CLP 2021..
- Global chemical production has increased fifty-fold since 1950 and is set to treble again by 20505Eurostat. http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do.
Case studies of chemical management demonstrate the potential of strong and effective chemical regulation in protecting our health and environment. Our new webpage highlights some of these leading examples, including restriction of CFC’s and PCB’s.
Chemical pollution is fuelling biodiversity loss
Wildlife
Chemical pollution adds additional burden to populations already under threat from climate and land-use change. Legacy chemicals such as PCBs continue to disrupt Orca reproduction 30 years after global restrictions were introduced, while many common pesticides continue to disrupt UK insect populations6Fidra (2021) Opportunities for pollution prevention:
long-term goals and quick wins. https://www.fidra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Fidra-Position-Paper_Chemicals-Strategy.pdf
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Chemical pollution is impacting our health
Health
Chemical pollution in our homes, communities and workplaces cause approximately 1.3 million global deaths every year from diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. It also exacerbates societal inequalities, with women more exposed to hazardous chemicals than men, poorer countries more than rich, and infants and young children particularly sensitive to chemical exposure7Prüss-Üstün A. Preventing disease through healthy environments : a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks / A Prüss-Ustün, J Wolf, C Corvalán, R Bos and M Neira. World Health Organization; 2016..
Climate change and chemical pollution are intrinsically linked
Climate
Despite major reductions in direct energy use over the last 30 years, the chemical industry remains a major contributor to UK carbon emissions. Chemical exposure can reduce nature’s resilience to the climate crisis through the impact of multiple stressors, while climate change can also impact the sensitivity and susceptibility of organisms to chemical exposures8Fidra (2021) Opportunities for pollution prevention:
long-term goals and quick wins. https://www.fidra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Fidra-Position-Paper_Chemicals-Strategy.pdf.
Hazardous chemicals are a barrier to the circular economy
Circular Economy
Harmful chemicals create a barrier to the circular economy by limiting the reuse capacity of products, creating a chemical exposure risk for workers in the recycling sector and undermining confidence in the safety of secondary materials. Without adequate information on product chemical content, we simply do not know what is safe to reuse and what is not.
The UK Chemical Strategy
What is it and why is it so important?
The current state of our health and environment shows that we’ve not been doing a great job of managing chemicals so far. The UK Chemical Strategy is our roadmap out of this chemical pollution crisis. It will set out the Government’s long-term vision for UK chemical policy, defining whether we accept the status quo or set ambitious targets that will improve our health and environment, create the foundation for a effective circular economy and drive innovation towards greener, more sustainable technologies.
The UK Government are developing the chemical strategy right now! This is our opportunity to tell them the future that we want to see:
- a non-toxic environment that is fighting fit to adapt to the challenges of the climate crisis;
- wildlife thriving in our countryside and cities, pollinating our crops and bringing the riches of biodiversity to every community;
- waters free from harmful chemicals, supporting abundant life, clean drinking water, health and wellbeing; and
- a strong and sustainable circular economy.
UK REACH
How are chemicals regulated in the UK?
Chemical regulation in the UK is currently managed under UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). This regulatory system was established after the UK’s departure from the European Union and was based on EU REACH. It covers England, Scotland, and Wales.
The implementation of UK REACH has however proved difficult, with a lack of data and capacity forcing us to fall behind EU REACH. To date the UK has not been able to keep up with evaluating restricting or registering chemicals in the UK. As a result, our increasing divergence from EU protection weakens both our health and environmental standards, and results in a delayed and insufficient assessment and regulation process.
Our latest blog and video on UK REACH explain these pitfalls, how they impact the UK’s ability to register and restrict toxic chemicals that impact our health and environment, and Fidra’s recommendations.
Further Reading
2023: Year in Review of Chemical Pollution
This briefing is on behalf of nature coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link) and provides a birdseye review of the major chemical issues in 2023.
Published: January 2024.
Nature 2030 Chemicals Minifesto
Wildlife and Countryside Link’s ‘minifestos’ are policy briefings which provide detail about how the five policy asks made by the Nature 2030 campaign could be applied to benefit different aspects of nature. This manifesto covers chemicals.
Published: September 2023
12 Key Asks for the UK Chemicals Strategy
Fidra have joined with 26 other health and environmental NGOs in putting together 12 Key Asks for the UK’s Chemical Strategy, aimed at ensuring health and environmental protections are put at the forefront of decision making.
Uploaded: May 2021
Fidra Response to UK REACH EAC Call for Evidence
Fidra’s submission to a Call for Evidence from the Environmental Audit Concern regarding the development of UK REACH.
Published: November 2022
The Chemical Pollution Crisis: a growing problem with achievable solutions
This is a briefing on chemical pollution, aimed at MSPs, and developed and published by Scottish Environment LINK
Published: October 2021
Opportunities for pollution prevention: long-term goals and quick wins
This position paper puts forward our case for an ambitious UK chemical strategy, describing key principles and policy actions Fidra believe will move the UK towards sustainable societies and healthy ecosystems.
Uploaded: September 2021
Principles for Sound Chemical Management
This document describes the guiding principles Fidra have developed to ensure safe and effective chemical policy that protects both human health and the environment.
Uploaded: September 2021
How UK Retailers are Tackling Chemicals of Concern
Fidra have compiled data gathered from on-going work with some of the UK’s most well-known supermarkets, high-street retailers and food outlets, along with the results of recent survey, to outline how UK retailers are managing chemicals of concern.
Published: December 2021
What is Fidra doing?
Fidra works on a number of specific projects which address chemical pollution. These include:
- PFAS, the Forever Chemicals: Fidra are working with UK supermarkets and food packaging suppliers to encourage a voluntary phase-out of PFAS from food packaging. We’re also working at policy level advocating urgent legislation to remove PFAS from food packaging and encouraging a commitment to end all non-essential uses of PFAS within the UK chemical strategy.
- Bisphenols, the Everywhere Chemicals: Fidra are working with the UK retail sector to encourage a voluntary phase-out of all bisphenols from till receipts. We’re also encouraging the Scottish Government to implement group-based legislation on bisphenols in till receipts as part of the developing Circular Economy Bill.
- Flame retardants and chemical transparency: Fidra are advocating for fire safety through product design, minimising the requirement for chemical flame retardants. We are also working closely with research and industry, developing a case study for smart labelling that will ensure transparency in chemical use along supply chains.
- Chemical use in aquaculture: Fidra are working closely with the aquaculture industry and policy-makers to improve chemical transparency, tracebility and enforcement, minimising the environmental impact of chemical use in Scottish salmon farming.
- Contaminants in Sewage Sludge: Fidra are working with the agriculture industry and policy-makers to highlight the presence of contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics in treated sewage sludge. We are calling for an end to sewage sludge application to agricultural land until it can be proven to be a clean and safe resource.
Fidra are also interested in wider chemical policy, ensuring a Scottish and UK framework for safe and effective chemical management that minimises the impact of chemical pollution on the environment. In our report we look to assess the impact of chemical policy on UK businesses, using case studies, on-going dialogue and our online survey results to summarise progress made by UK retailers towards sustainable chemical management.
We are also members of the UK Chemical Stakeholder Forum, the Scottish Chemical Policy Network and the UK NGO Working Group on Hazardous Chemicals.