由加州大學研究員發表的最新報告指出，加州居民的身體組織、母乳、臍帶血中發現高濃度的汞和超過100種的化學合成物質及污染物。然而，法律對於有毒化學物質的規範卻嚴重落後，以致無法確實保護民眾健康及環境。
這篇報告連同其他對州政府的政策改造建議書於1月21日共同發表。報告中指出，2004年加州居民因暴露化學物質及污染而罹病，結果帶給該州的保險業者、企業和家庭，直接及間接成本共計26億美元。
這份報告是由加州環保局委妥位於加州柏克來大學和洛杉磯大學的職業及環境健康中心 (the Centers for Occupational and Environmental Health, COEH) 進行。
COEH主任博姆斯（John Balmes）博士說：「加州一直以來都表現的相當成功，持續創造新的工作及投資機會，同時也可以保護人民健康及環境品質。我們己經在汽車排氣及能源使用上，達到上述境界。現在，這篇報告很明白的告訴我們，我們將必須採取相同的手段來處理化學物質及化學產品。」
根據估計，約有100萬名處於生育期的加州婦女，其血液中的汞含量，已超過美國聯邦政府所認定的胎兒發育安全標準。
研究人員在報告中也表示，2050年全球化學產品預估將增加330%，在此趨勢下，除非落實全面性的規範措施，否則環境污染所產生的健康問題將日益嚴重。
這篇報告呼籲加州帶領美國實施更完善的措施來管理化學物質及化學產品。包括：
- 制定新法律以補救目前在化學物質的毒性資料上的不足。如此一來，加州企業、立法者及消費者在使用化學產品時，可以更充份了解，而做出消費決策。
- 提供加州的政府機關新的法律架構，讓他們有權力，即使無法取得完整的有害或追蹤資料，只要對產品安全性有合理的考慮，就可以採取適當的行動。
- 化學產品、原料的設計及製造過程的投資，讓它們將人類的安全完全考量進來。
這篇報告可以在洛杉磯大學的職業及環境健康中心的網站找到。
www.coeh.ucla.edu/greenchemistry.pdf
High mercury levels and more than 100 synthetic chemicals and pollutants have been found in breast milk, umbilical-cord blood, and other bodily tissues of California residents, yet state laws regulating hazardous chemicals have serious gaps and fail to protect public health and the environment, finds a new report by researchers at the University of California.
As a result, diseases among Californians who are exposed to chemicals and pollution cost the state's insurers, businesses and families an estimated $2.6 billion in direct and indirect costs during 2004, says the report, released Thursday together with a set of recommended policy reforms for the state.
The California Environmental Protection Agency commissioned the Centers for Occupational and Environmental Health, COEH, at UC Berkeley and UCLA to prepare the report.
"California has shown that creating new jobs and investment opportunities can go hand in hand with protecting human health and the environment," said COEH director Dr. John Balmes. " We have been doing this with vehicle emissions and energy use, and this new report makes it obvious that we will need to do the same with chemicals and products."
An estimated one million California women of reproductive age have blood mercury levels that exceed what the federal government considers safe for fetal development.
With global chemical production predicted to increase 330 percent by 2050, health problems related to environmental contamination are likely to grow unless comprehensive steps are taken now, the report's authors say.
The report calls on California to lead the nation in implementing a comprehensive approach to the management of chemicals and products by:
- Passing new laws to remedy the insufficient data available on the toxicity of chemicals so that California businesses, regulators and consumers can make informed choices about the products they use.
- Providing California agencies with a new legal framework to enable them to act when there are reasonable concerns about a product's safety, even when complete hazard or tracking data are unavailable.
- Investing in the design of chemicals, materials and manufacturing processes that are inherently safer for humans.
全文及圖片詳見 ：ENS
