China: a land of vast expanses, the largest population of any on the planet and, increasingly, an economic super-power rivaling that of the United States. It’s predicted that this year will see China surpass the US as the largest manufacturing centre in the world.
But along with their economic growth from manufacturing comes significant pressure on the natural environment and, similarly, on the Chinese people. One of the most serious problems plaguing China today is widespread toxic contamination.
For two years our colleagues have been investigating sources of toxic pollution in China,in an effort to increase public awareness and encourage the central government to ban the use of toxic chemicals. Governments elsewhere, such as in the EU and the US, have already banned many of these, but in China, using these chemicals in the production of consumer goods remains the norm.
In 2010, Greenpeace researchers investigated the clothing sector, collecting water and sediment samples from rivers located near textile factories. An analysis by an independent laboratory found toxic metals in 17 of the 21 samples, including cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead and copper – all of which are known to be harmful to human health. When Greenpeace released the exposé to widespread media coverage, the local government publicly committed to ‘zero tolerance’ and promised an investigation into the polluting factories.
Unfortunately, the use of toxic chemicals remains widespread in most manufacturing sectors in China. Just this week, Greenpeace found high levels of phthalates - banned by the EU and the US - in children’s products and toys made from vinyl plastic sold on the Chinese market.
Phthalates are plastic softeners widely added to vinyl plastic (also called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) materials and are linked to hormone malfunctions and toxicity to the reproductive system. Children and infants are particularly vulnerable to phthalate exposure. The EU and the US have banned six types of phthalates in children’s products and toys, but China currently lacks comparable regulations.
Again, an independent assessment found phthalates in 21 out of 30 samples of children’s products and toys purchased in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Nineteen of the 21 positive samples contained more than 10% phthalates by total weight, with one toy containing nearly half its weight in phthalates at 43.1%.
“Governments in the EU and North America have all recognised the serious health threats of phthalates for children, yet in China, kids are unprotected from these harmful toxins,” said Greenpeace campaigner Yixiu Wu. “We urge the Chinese government to follow suit and immediately ban the use of phthalates in children’s products.”
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors that interfere with human hormones, and, because they are not bonded to the plastic, leach into the environment easily. Exposure to phthalates has been associated with hormone malfunctions, reproductive toxicity and genital abnormalities in babies - especially boys.
“Children are one of the most vulnerable groups to hormone disruptors – they like to put things in their mouths, plus their reproductive, immune and endocrine systems are still developing,” explains Wu. “Toxic chemicals have no place in children’s toys and products.”
Since 1999, the EU has banned the use of six types of phthalates in children’s products. The US and Australia have also placed bans and restrictions on phthalates in children’s products.
Yet in China, over 90% of the chemicals currently on the market have not undergone safety assessments, and most are not regulated. Greenpeace is urging the government of China to establish a comprehensive regulatory system for chemicals – including all endocrine disruptors – based on the precautionary principle, and to eliminate hazardous chemicals that seriously threaten human health and the environment.
Find out more about toxic chemicals and Greenpeace's work in China:
