A recent investigation has exposed how powerful chemical companies obstructed a major European Union (EU) public health initiative. ‘A toxic affair’, researched by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and journalist Stephane Horel, tells the story of how chemical and pesticide lobby groups have successfully blocked EU attempts to better regulate hormone-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
EDCs are present in everyday products – from plastics and cosmetics to pesticides. They can interact with the hormonal systems of living organisms, and are suspected of having severe environmental and health impacts; human exposure is linked to cancer and infertility, as well as birth defects and learning disorders.
