Economic interests cloud hazardous chemicals reductions

The regulation of hazardous chemicals in Europe has been shaped by economic interests, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The researchers, from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology, find that regulators focus on chemicals of secondary importance leading to lesser than anticipated hazard reductions.“We show that the most important factor in whether a substance is subjected to binding limitations and conditions is whether it is being produced in, or imported into, the European Economic Area. The regulators are less likely to list a substance