“Phthalates Given a Reprieve by the EU — Surprisingly, Given European Devotion to the Precautionary Principle,” by American Council on Science and Health.
Plastics! Nothing to Fear…In a surprisingly pro-science stance, the European Commission has swatted away a rebellion by the Danish environmental authorities to race ahead of the science and institute a ban on 4 types of phthalates. These plasticizer chemicals have been targeted by many “environmental” and “consumer” NGOs over the past 15 years or so, for allegedly being “endocrine disruptors” and contributing to every known human ailment, from obesity to infertility to cancer to autism to global warming. ACSH has assessed the scientific basis for these alarmist scares repeatedly, beginning with our classic tome on two of the most common and most targeted phthalates, DINP (found most typically in kids’ toys, e.g. rubber duckies) and DEHP (found in medical devices such as IV bags and tubing). Read more.
EU Stops Unscientific Ban on Phthalates
July 7, 2014
