The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee is holding the first oral evidence session in its current inquiry into the use of toxic chemicals in everyday products.

The chemicals, which are present in a wide range of products such as furniture, food and toys, include flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and endocrine disruptors. They take many years to break down naturally, travel throughout the environment via air, soil and water, accumulate in living organisms and can be toxic to both humans and wildlife.

Humans are frequently exposed to the chemicals through dust and food, with children amongst the most vulnerable group.

The EAC inquiry is examining current Government regulation of these substances, and the environmental and human health problems associated with them.

At the launch of the inquiry, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Mary Creagh MP, said:

“The use and control of toxic chemicals in everyday products is a pressing environmental issue with serious implications for human health.

“Consumer products, including children’s toys, have been found to be contaminated by toxic chemicals that can end up in in blood and breast milk. Fire retardants, used in furniture and electronic devices, are a common source of harmful chemicals and are governed by UK legislation that has not been significantly updated in over 30 years.

“The Government has committed to reducing harmful chemical levels in soil and rivers in its 25 Year Environment Plan. This inquiry aims to find out whether ministers are doing enough to protect the environment and ensure the risk to human health from toxic chemicals is minimised. I encourage anyone with insight to engage with our inquiry.”

The Committee has previously considered the future of chemicals regulation after the UK leaves the EU in 2016-17 and again in a one-off evidence session in December 2018.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has been reviewing the Regulations running public consultations in 2014 and 2016. Yet almost a decade after the recognition of hazards posed by chemicals used in furniture there has been no significant action from Government, the EAC said.

Hazardous chemicals have been found in UK soil and rivers and the Government has committed to reducing harmful chemical levels in its 25 Year Environment Plan.

The Committee has completed the first stage of the inquiry in the form of written evidence.

Key questions the Toxic Chemicals inquiry is seeking to address include:

• Why are toxic chemicals used?
• Why are toxic chemicals used in consumer products? What benefit do they offer? How are levels of toxicity measured?
• What new technologies and materials are being developed to reduce the use of toxic chemicals? Are they widely available and affordable for producers?
• What is the environmental risk from toxic chemicals?
• As part of its commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan, what measures is the Government taking to reduce harmful chemicals in the environment?
• Will these measures be effective?
• Does the Government’s plan to target £9bn in savings through regulation by 2022 pose risks for chemical regulation?
• What risks or opportunities does Britain exiting the EU pose to regulation and import of these chemical substances or products containing these substances? What is the likely status of the UK’s continued participation in the RAPEX system in the event of Britain leaving the EU?
• How should substances of very high concern (SVHC) be regulated after the UK leaves the EU? How should the Government manage risk from newly identified toxic chemicals after the UK has left the EU?

In the first oral evidence session of the inquiry on Tuesday 23 April the Committee will hear from the following academic experts:

• Professor Michael Depledge, Emeritus Professor, University of Exeter
• Professor Andrew Johnson, Environmental Research Scientist, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
• Professor Tamara Galloway, Professor of Ecotoxicology, University of Exeter
• Professor John Sumpter, Professor of Ecotoxicology, Brunel University London