Use of products containing carcinogenic chemicals greatly reduced

These are the results from a pilot project Statistics Norway (SN) has conducted on commission from the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT). The analysis is based on data from the Product Register (Norway's central register of substances and chemical products).

Significant decline

The use of CMR- (cancer, mutation and reproduction) classified products was reduced by more than 60 per cent from 1999 to 2001. This means a decrease of products that may cause cancer, be genetically harmful or harmful to the reproduction capability in humans. Less use of CMR-classified products is the main reason for the decrease. This took place after a duty was imposed on perchloroethylene in textile products used at cleaners. The use of CMR substances in products such as paint and varnish, plus various other materials, was reduced during the same period. For cleaning and polishing material, however, an increase has been registered.

Increased use allergy-causing agents

The use of allergy-causing agents increased by 200 tonnes or 14 per cent from 1999 to 2001. The main reason for this is increased use of paint and varnish products, plus cleaning products classified as allergy causing. Concerning products that may cause chronic afflictions, products that are classified as "acutely poisonous" and environmentally classified products; the consumption is low with small quantities and few products. The data basis for this work is therefore not the best. The reason is that the requirement for classification and labelling of environmentally hazardous substance mixtures first took effect 1 ^{s t} of January 2002 with one-year transitional period. There are, however, few products that only are classified as environmentally hazardous. This is because these often have other effects, so they are therefore intercepted in one of the other groups.

National goal

A considerable reduction in use and emission of chemicals that cause damage to health and environment is one of the national targets in the Report to the Storting no. 24 (2000-2001). Key figures, that are to show if it is possible to reach the national target, are figures for the development in the use of hazardous chemicals by different industries, selected product types and selected substances/substance groups.

The purpose with the pilot project has been to develop a methodology for a set of indicators that show the development of certain products containing health and environmental hazardous substances, and where the focus has been on household products. Households are using numerous products that may contain health and environmental hazardous substances. The work also includes chemicals used in service activities and construction - because the use of chemicals in these industries to a certain degree exposes the public to hazardous substances. The products are mainly paint, varnish and cleaning products. Cosmetics and pesticides should possibly also be included, but since the Product Register does not cover them, they are left out this time.

Development of indicators

A set of indicators should ideally be able to show the use of hazardous substances related to various products in the households over time. In order to as much as possible being able to reach this goal, it was looked at what kind of risk phrases the products had as labels. With the help of R-phrases the products were put together in different groups (see table ). Such a grouping of R-phrases can for the time being only be extracted from the Product Register for 2001, and it is therefore assumed that the labelling of the products for previous years are the same as for 2001. This results in products - where labelling has been changed as a result of a change in composition - not being intercepted if the product keeps its original product number. This is also the case for products that have got a different classification. The products that have been in use before 2001, but later been taken out of production, are not included in the data set due to lack of information.

Basis for the work

Data related to this work are the basis for processing a set of indicators. 1999 is chosen as a basis year for the indicators, and include products registered in the period 1999-2001. This is done in order to get the most possible reliable data, without including "new" products that already may have been on the market, but that have previously not been included in the Product Register. In addition no problems occur concerning products that have been removed from production during the same period.

Uncertainty in estimated consumption

The concept consumption/use in this connection means the result of the calculation production + imports - exports for the individual product. Obviously it is a simplification when this is called consumption/use. This assumes that all products are consumed the same year they are produced or imported, and that all exports happen the same year the product is produced. The uncertainty is even greater for products where some of these elements are influenced by for instance imposing a fee. A fee on exports and production of perochloroethylen is identified as a reason for the decrease and possible underestimation (stock reduction) in CMR-classified products in 2000, and possibly also in 2001, plus a possible over-estimation (stock accumlation) of consumption the year before the fee was imposed.

Other forms of uncertainty

Other forms of uncertainty also occur in the work. One example is that products that are imported or produced in small quantities (less than one hundred) are not included in the data basis. The reason for this is that they are not declared and registered in the Product Register. In addition the statistics only cover the products that have been registered in the entire period from 1999-2001. As a result, products that were registered for the first time in 2000 and 2001, and products that were taken into use in the same period, are not included in the data set. This is a necessary limitation because as of today there is not enough information to include these products.

Need to further develop the statistics

The Storting has decided that "a significant reduction of emissions and use of chemicals that cause damage to health and environment is to be achieved". Statistics Norway hope the work that is done in this pilot project may result in an annual statistics on the use of chemicals in households. Such statistics may give a good basis for evaluating to what degree the targets of the Storting resolution may be achieved. In that case it may be necessary to monitor the consumption over longer periods - in order to get more reliable figures for the actual development in the consumption of health and environmental harmful substances. It is also desirable to extend the statistics to also concern other industries.

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