On October 25, 2014 the broadcasting service Earth Focus published a documentary entitled “Unsafe: the truth behind everyday chemicals”. Of 13 000 used in cosmetics only 1 300 substances have been evaluated for their safety according to Erin Switalski, executive director of the non-governmental organization Women’s Voices for the Earth, who has detected hazardous compounds including lead, mercury and formaldehyde in cosmetics. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) around 3000 of the 84 000 chemicals currently on the market may be endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The documentary expresses particular concern over prenatal exposures to environmental contaminants pointing to a study finding 200 industrial chemicals in fetal cord blood. The documentary discusses the potential adverse effects of EDCs on the example of phthalates, BPA and pesticides, elucidating that prenatal exposure to EDCs may result in a variety of later health effects ranging from diminished intelligence to cancer. In the documentary, several experts point to the necessity of consumer action in order to force states and companies to change the formulation of their products. The documentary is freely accessible and may be viewed on the webpage of The Open Mind.
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Earth Focus (October 25, 2014). “Unsafe: the truth behind everyday chemicals”
