Toxic Substances in Articles: The Need for Information

The use of toxic chemicals in articles is a growing concern for public health and the environment. International trade results in substances being transported among regions. From toys and household items to electronic equipment and automobiles, toxic substances in articles are an increasingly import...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors I. Massey, Rachel, G. Hutchins, Janet, Becker, Monica, Tickner, Joel
Format eBook
LanguageEnglish
Published Copenhagen Nordic Council of Ministers 2008
Edition1
SeriesTemaNord
Subjects
Chemicals
Efni
Environment
kemikaalit
Kemikalier
Kjemikalier
Miljö
Miljø
Poisons
Toxicology
Umhverfi
ympäristö
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Summary:The use of toxic chemicals in articles is a growing concern for public health and the environment. International trade results in substances being transported among regions. From toys and household items to electronic equipment and automobiles, toxic substances in articles are an increasingly important factor contributing to the global burden of toxic substances. Toxic substances in articles may pose threats at every stage of the product life cycle - production, use, and disposal or recycling. In this report, we consider a factor that is critical for the sound management of substances in articles: the availability of information. At present, there is no global system for provision of information about substances in a wide range of articles. First, the report describes the problem of toxic substances in articles, with detailed case studies of selected examples and considers the advantages that would result from better information management systems. Second, the report considers existing efforts to generate and disseminate information about substances in articles, both regulatory requirements and voluntary initiatives. Third, the report offers suggestions as to the questions and themes that would need to be considered in order to improve management of information about substances in articles.
ISBN:9789289317788
9289317787
ISSN:0908-6692
DOI:10.6027/TN2008-596