[Pharmwaste] Danish ban of phthalates

[Tenace, Laurie]

Danish Environmental Minister Proposes "Cocktail Effect" Ban On Phthalates

On Saturday, Danish Environmental Minister Karen Elleman proposed a ban on four commonly used phthalates: DEHP, DBP, BBP and DIPB. What makes the proposed ban newsworthy is that Elleman is calling for the ban based on the so-called "cocktail effect," i.e., the cumulative exposure to multiple endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Scandinavian countries have asked the European Union and the world community to be more concerned about cumulative exposure to multiple endocrine disrupting substances, which individually and in small concentrations do not rise to the level of being considered harmful to health.

"Endocrine disruptors such as phthalates can cause premature puberty in girls and malformed genitals in boys," said Elleman. "I will not gamble with neither children nor adults' health, so I have now asked the EPA to draft new rules to restrict the sale of products containing these four most dangerous phthalates."

Elleman said the draft ban on the four chemicals would target products with which consumers have direct contact as well as products "for indoor use."

For more information visit http://www.mim.dk/Nyheder/Pressemeddelelser/20113004_forbud_mod_ftalater.htm.


Laurie Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Waste Reduction Section
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Rd., MS 4555
Tallahassee FL 32399-2400
P: 850.245.8759
F: 850.245.8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/





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