Majority of Scots back restrictions on cancer-linked ‘forever chemicals’

Seven in ten Scots back stronger restrictions on chemicals present in everyday products that have been linked to various health issues, including cancer.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are found in many consumer products, disrupt the body’s hormone systems – but the impact is not widely understood.

But some population studies have found links between exposure to EDCs and increased risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer.

EDCs – also known as forever chemicals as they build up in the body over time – have also been found to impact the metabolism, reproductive health and brain development.

The polling by charity Breast Cancer UK and given exclusively to Holyrood has found broad public support for restricting chemicals present in consumer products until they have been thoroughly tested.

It also found almost three quarters (72 per cent) of Scots believe businesses should take greater responsibility to protect the public from EDCs.

Seven in ten Scots also believed they had a right to know what was in products, yet two-thirds admitted to finding it difficult to identity where EDCs were present. Further, almost three-quarters were unaware of the loophole which allows companies to lump chemicals together under an umbrella term like ‘parfum’.

The charity is calling on the UK to ban EDCs and implement greater protections to reduce exposure until chemicals are tested and health impacts established.

It has been backed by two Scottish MPs so far, Labour’s Scott Arthur and the SNP’s Seamus Logan.

Arthur, who earlier this year saw his Rare Cancers Act passed by parliament, said there needed to be more transparency.

He said: “These findings show a clear demand in Scotland for stronger action on endocrine disrupting chemicals. People do not think businesses should be taking risks with substances whose long-term effects are not understood, and they want clearer rules, better testing, and transparency.

“That is essential if we are serious about prevention and reducing long-term health harms, including cancers linked to environmental exposure.”

Logan added that the “invisible presence” of such chemicals in day-to-day items mean exposure was “all the more insidious”.

He said: “This research by Breast Cancer UK shows just how concerned Scottish citizens are about EDCs, the harms they can cause, the lack of transparency in terms of labelling on products and how important it is that more research is done to understand their impact on our health and our hormone systems. These chemicals may be hidden in plain sight, but the long-term damage and the risk to children is of serious concern to Scots who were surveyed.”

Breast Cancer UK has argued that stronger regulation would be the most effective way to protect public health. The charity says this shift would involve putting more emphasis on potential harm rather than relying on estimated safe exposure levels.

Other parts of the world have already moved to regulate such chemicals. The EU is currently considering a restriction on the use of PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals linked to increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer.

The charity is also called for greater monitoring of exposure and health risks to address knowledge gaps.

Dr Hannah Moody, director of research at the charity, said: “The failure so far by the government and regulators to account for how the separate chemicals in our regular routine interact and build on each other is a huge oversight.

“Chemical cocktails are incredibly hard to measure, which is why we need to restrict potentially harmful chemicals at the source.”