Toxic Chemicals


REACH enters into force

Scores of women and their male colleagues, in  the centre of Berlin to form a massive ‘X’  -  the symbol for toxic chemicals.

After years of debate, new chemical legislation came into force on 1 June within the European Union. This will force producers and importers of chemicals to prove that the substances they put on the market are safe for consumers.

Known as REACH - the new law sets Europe on a modest step towards a new approach to toxic regulation.

Ninja Reineke at WWF’s European Policy Office reports on how toxic things really are now that REACH is in place. Listen now (mp3 format, 16.4MB)


The Arctic - the world's toxic sink

Despite living in one of the most remote regions in the world, Arctic wildlife and people are suffering the effects of industrial chemicals produced thousands of kilometres away. Polar bears are just one of the victims of this chemical contamination.

Find out how chemicals reach the arctic

How toxic are you?

Are you a pure, a tainted, or a potentially toxic person?

Hazardous man-made chemicals used in every-day products are contaminating people and wildlife.

Take the online test and find out how potentially toxic your life is!

Africa Stockpiles Programme

Through the Africa Stockpiles Programme, WWF is working to clean-up and safely dispose of all obsolete pesticide stocks from Africa and help to prevent future accumulations. » Read more


Latest news and publications


 
Electronics and office equipment in standby mode are responsible for 1.5 percent of Switzerland’s annual electricity consumption.

01 Apr 2008
Finally justice on hazardous chemical in electronics
WWF welcomes today’s ruling of the European Court of Justice against the European Commission’s decision to exempt the flame retardant deca-BDE from the ban in electronic products. WWF is relieved that this substance will be finally banned from TVs and computers from July 2008 (as it should have been since 2006). » Read more

The problem

As WWF tracks the growing body of scientific research on chemical contamination and the effects of exposure, a sobering picture emerges. Wherever scientists look - the tropics, marine systems, industrial regions, the Arctic - they find the impacts of toxic chemicals.

Read more about the issues

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