On November 14, 2016 the Dutch public health advocacy group Wemos informed about a testing campaign underpinning the situation that nearly everyone in the population is exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Wemos, together with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, analyzed urine samples of four Dutch politicians and found that all four had been exposed to bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) and phthalates. When confronted with the results, the politicians were shocked and surprised as they thought to be well-aware of harmful substances and taking measures to avoid or reduce exposure. Reducing or limiting exposure to EDCs is extremely difficult to nearly impossible due to the chemicals’ ubiquitous presence, Wemos explains. Therefore, Wemos asks the Dutch government to implement a national plan to protect the population, including stricter regulation of EDCs as well as a biomonitoring program.
Wemos’ investigation was also covered in the Dutch television program Radar.
Read more
Wemos (November 14, 2016). “Ook parlementariërs hebben hormoonverstorende stoffen in hun lichaam.” (in Dutch)
Radar (November 14, 2016). “Hormoonverstorende stoffen in urine Kamerleden.” (in Dutch)
Chemical Watch (November 28, 2016). “Dutch politicians test positive for BPA and phthalates.“
