Toxic toys and playgrounds: Fears as UK chemical rules become weaker than EU post-Brexit

11 comments

1. From [Tom Bawden](https://inews.co.uk/author/tom-bawden) for **i:**

   In the four-and-a-half years since [Brexit](https://inews.co.uk/category/news/brexit?ico=in-line_link), the EU has agreed to ban, restrict, or require clear safety warnings on 46 chemicals.

   By contrast, the UK has added just one chemical to the watchlists it inherited from Europe – and only after a worldwide ban under the Stockholm Convention, [according to an analysis ](https://chemtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/UKEU-divergence-table-chemical-controls-11.pdf)by the Chem Trust charity.

   Among other things, the UK’s more relaxed approach to these chemicals has raised fears that its children face greater potential health risks in the future from toxic toys, bouncy playgrounds and [artificial turf sports pitches](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A259%3ATOC&uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.259.01.0001.01.ENG).

   The bloc plans restrictions on “endocrine disrupting” chemicals used in toys, which have been [linked to ADHD](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7455852/) and [impaired brain development](https://chemtrust.org/edcs_brain_development/) in children – and has agreed to ban “rubber crumb” recycled tyre particles from playground surfaces and infill for artificial sports pitches from 2031.

   These contain high levels of a known carcinogen – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – [that have been linked to skin, lung, bladder and liver cancer](http://www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/factsheets/polycyclicaromatichydrocarbons.htm#:~:text=Benzo(a)pyrene%20is%20the,%2C%20bladder%2C%20and%20gastrointestinal%20cancers.) in animal studies and are a source of microplastic pollution in rivers.

   The EU has also increased the number of [forever chemicals ](https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/high-levels-toxic-chemicals-fish-harming-2785657?ico=in-line_link)it has banned. These chemicals, of which there are estimated to be about 10,000 in total, are used to make everyday products stain and water resistant, and are so widespread they are present in more than half of UK fruit and vegetables, and in many rivers and fish.

   The one addition to the UK list since Brexit is for PFHxS, a subset of forever chemicals. But the post Brexit EU bans, some already in place and others in the pipeline, are much wider than that.

2. Good thing we left the EU so we are free to poison our children.

3. Article aside. Since when did we have ‘Verified Media Outlets’?

4. Yet another brexit “benefit”. Anyone actually know anyone who voted leave and isn’t regretting it? For me it’s everyone I know except one person.

5. There is no point in implementing a ban just because the EU does, that is silly.

   So without being an expert on the health of these chemicals, it would be interesting to know where else have those 46 additional rules been implemented? Is it just EU, or other countries?

6. I love watching the country regress, I’m pretty sure progress is going backwards 

7. Who is lobbying our government and winning the argument? Won’t anyone think of the kids?? Or we not doing that now?!!

8. But this is what Brexiters wanted, isn’t it? Weaker rules? You’re telling me there’s a downside to that?!?

9. This is some V for Vendetta shit we’re reaching now

10. Taking back control…….of allowing the worst people in the World to poison us and our kids.

    Good job Pees-Smog.

11. Just wait til they hear playing with lego generates toxic microplastics.