Op deze pagina's:

• Nieuws
• Intro - het hoe en waarom van mijn pagina's
• Op deze bladzij - uitvoeriger inhoudsopgave, met ook verwijzing naar Rotterdamse info en de e-mail verzendlijst
• Door mij georganiseerde activiteiten, met name wandelingen
• Fotografie (nieuw); oudere foto's en verslagen staan op deze pagina

On http://www.ewg.org:16080/reports/pfcworld/ I read things about gore-tex which worry me very much:

Consumers instantly recognize them as household miracles of modern chemistry, a family of substances that keeps food from sticking to pots and pans, repels stains on furniture and rugs, and makes the rain roll off raincoats. Industry makes use of the slippery, heat-stable properties of these same chemicals to manufacture everything from airplanes and computers to cosmetics and household cleaners. But in the past five years, the multi-billion dollar "perfluorochemical" (PFC) industry, which underpins such world-famous brands as Teflon, Stainmaster, Scotchgard and Gore-Tex, has emerged as a regulatory priority for scientists and officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The PFC family is characterized by chains of carbon atoms of varying lengths, to which fluorine atoms are strongly bonded, yielding essentially indestructible chemicals that until recently were thought to be biologically inert. No one thinks so now.
A flood of disturbing scientific findings since the late 1990s has abruptly elevated PFCs to the rogues gallery of highly toxic, extraordinarily persistent chemicals that pervasively contaminate human blood and wildlife the world over. As more studies pour in, PFCs seem destined to supplant DDT, PCBs, dioxin and other chemicals as the most notorious, global chemical contaminants ever produced. Government scientists are especially concerned because unlike any other toxic chemicals, the most pervasive and toxic members of the PFC family never degrade in the environment. .. This report provides the first, comprehensive review ever published of the pollution and health risks posed by PFCs, with special reference to PFOA. It is based on a review of 50,000 pages of regulatory studies and government documents ... and an examination of a growing body of independent studies on the toxicity and environmental occurrence of PFCs. This report also explains how major companies like 3M and DuPont, who endlessly boast about their scientific prowess, could get away with permanently contaminating the entire planet for decades amid assurance from the chemical industry that it practices "responsible care" with respect to public health and the environment.

Please inform me what you think about this and what your company is doing to prevent pollution by PFCs.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Kind regards,
Ellen Timmer

From: Loretta L Carroll
Date: 15-9-2004 19:16:27

Dear Ms. Timmer;
Thank you for your interest in W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and for your recent inquiry.
I want to assure you there is no health risk to consumers from wearing GORE-TEX (r) jackets, using Glide(r) dental floss, or any of the thousands of other products we at Gore manufacture.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached the same conclusion stating, "EPA does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial related products."
Gore has always been committed to responsible product and environmental stewardship. We will continue to monitor the EPA efforts as they relate to our products, processes and the environment, and respond accordingly.

Best Regards,
Loretta Carroll
The Gore Information Center

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 21:35:44 +0200
To: Loretta L Carroll
Subject: gore-tex a risk for health and/or environment?

Dear Ms. Carroll,
Thank you for your quick reply.
I note that you say there is no health risk to consumers wearing gore-tex clothes. You do not say anything about pollution with PFCs. Could you please explain if gore-tex is a environmental risk or not.
Could you please also give me internet sources that confirm your statements. I think the information at the source I mentioned in my message is very alarming.

Kind regards,
Ellen Timmer