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Chemicals in our life
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Chemicals in plastic products
ProductsPlastic makes our lives easier in many ways, but some plastic products contain chemicals that can harm our health – such as bisphenol A or some phthalates.
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Clothes and textiles
ProductsThere are many ways we come into contact with textiles in our everyday lives – the clothes we wear, the bed linen we sleep in, the towels we dry ourselves with and the furniture we sit on. Chemicals are added to these products for various reasons to improve them, but in some people they can cause troublesome health effects, including allergies.
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Effects on aquatic life
EnvironmentWe limit the emissions but many chemicals used today still end up in our environment and in lakes, rivers and oceans. Most chemicals cause no harm but not surprisingly, chemicals that are harmful to humans may also be harmful to the environment and to the animals that live in aquatic ecosystems.
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Chemicals and climate change
EnvironmentOn a global scale, we are using more energy than ever before, and this is having serious effects on the Earth’s climate. But, while the release of some chemicals into the environment can accelerate climate change, chemicals are also part of the solution.
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Glyphosate
TrendingGlyphosate is one of the most widely used active substances in pesticides to prevent unwanted plant growth around planted crops or to kill plants or parts of plants. These substances are often called ‘herbicides' or ‘weedkillers'.
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Safety precautions and exposure
Safety data sheets and exposure scenarios help you to handle chemicals safely and protect yourself. Suppliers of hazardous chemicals used in the workplace need to provide this safety information and you can get it from your employer.
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Chemicals causing allergies
HealthMore people are suffering from allergies than ever before. Some man-made chemicals cause them, but so can naturally occuring allergens like pollen, plants and food.
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Know your electronics and their chemicals
ProductsDevices in your home, like phones, computers, tablets, TV sets, game consoles and smart kitchen appliances, are made of hundreds of components and thousands of chemicals.
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Nanomaterials in our life
Nanomaterials are used in many everyday products. Navigate the flat and find out where and why.
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Chemicals in a circular economy
All materials around us, our furniture, computer screens, and the clothes we wear, are a mixture of different chemicals. A circular economy is about material cycles – how we use, re-use and dispose of materials, how we minimise waste and how we make the most of resources in that process. Risks to humans or the environment should be avoided, so the use of hazardous chemicals in products should be reduced throughout their entire life cycle.
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The problem with microplastics
Plastics are important materials. They make our lives easier and are often lighter and cost less than alternative materials. However, if they are not properly disposed of or recycled, they can persist for long periods in the environment and can also degrade into small pieces that are of concern – microplastics.
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Health & Environment
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Environment Chemicals and climate change
On a global scale, we are using more energy than ever before, and this is having serious effects on the Earth’s climate. But, while the release of some chemicals into the environment can accelerate climate change, chemicals are also part of the solution.
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Health Chemicals causing allergies
More people are suffering from allergies than ever before. Some man-made chemicals cause them, but so can naturally occuring allergens like pollen, plants and food.
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Health Endocrine disruptors and our health
Endocrine disruptors may be causing serious health effects such as infertility, cancer and development disorders for example birth defects. But where are they used and what is being done to protect us?
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Environment Chemicals in agriculture
Conventional farming makes use of pesticides to protect plants and fertilisers to enhance their growth and fertility. In organic farming, their use is heavily restricted. In both types of farming, the EU is working for safer products for consumers.
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Environment Effects on aquatic life
We limit the emissions but many chemicals used today still end up in our environment and in lakes, rivers and oceans. Most chemicals cause no harm but not surprisingly, chemicals that are harmful to humans may also be harmful to the environment and to the animals that live in aquatic ecosystems.
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Nanomaterials and health
Are substances in nanoforms more dangerous than they are in their normal size? Some are and some are not. Just like any other chemical substance, nanomaterials have to be assessed separately.
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