A record number of harmful consumer products were reported in the European Union last year, with potentially toxic chemicals a major culprit.
There were more than 4,100 alerts about these products in 2024, the highest level recorded in the past two decades, according to a new European Commission report, which says “dangerous chemicals” were found in cosmetics, vape liquids, clothing, cheap jewellery, and toys.
The warnings came through the EU’s Safety Gate Rapid Alert System, which allows countries to report consumer and professional products that pose a threat to people’s health and well-being.
It spans everything from banned chemicals to choking or strangulation hazards and products that could damage people’s hearing or sight.
Food and medicines are not included because they have their own alert system.
Here are a few of the key chemicals identified in consumer and industrial products in the EU last year, and what they mean for human health.
Synthetic fragrance
A synthetic fragrance called 2-(4-tert- butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde, or BMHCA, was found in nearly all cosmetics with chemical risks.
BMHCA is commonly used in perfumes, makeup, lotions, deodorants, and hair products, and has a flowery scent akin to lilies of the valley.
But it has been banned in cosmetics in the EU since March 2022 over concerns that it may damage people’s fertility and hurt babies in the womb, along with irritating the skin.
If you’re worried about finding BMHCA on the shelves, you can find it on a product’s ingredient list as butylphenyl methylpropional.
Restricted ‘forever chemicals’
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins, or SCCPs, are a group of industrial chemicals used as flame retardants and can be found in old rubber and plastic items like conveyor belts, hoses, cables, and seals.
They’re under the umbrella of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," which are slow to break down in the environment, causing them to accumulate in the food chain and living things.
It’s illegal to import SCCPs into the EU, and there are strict regulations on how they can be used, but last year, the chemicals were found in cables in the EU, the report said.
Research indicates that chlorinated paraffins may cause liver and kidney damage, hurt children’s development, cause endocrine disorders and reproductive problems, and lead to immune system issues.
Those with shorter carbon chains and higher concentrations of chlorine may be even more harmful to human health.
“These pose a risk not only to human health but also to the environment as they are toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations and bio-accumulate in wildlife and humans,” the report said.
Lead
The toxic metal lead was found in solders – substances that are used to permanently fuse together parts of metal – in the EU last year, according to the report.
No level of lead exposure is considered safe, and there are strict limits on exposure at work in the EU. But every year, there are about 300 lead-related health complaints in Europe.
People can inhale particles when lead-containing materials are burned, recycled, or stripped of their paint. They can also be exposed if they ingest contaminated water, food, or dust, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Lead can make its way into the brain, liver, kidneys, and bones. It affects the reproductive and cardiovascular systems and can hurt babies’ development.
In Western Europe, nearly 2.5 million children and teenagers are believed to have blood lead levels of at least five micrograms per decilitre, a level that has been linked to lower IQ, cognitive problems, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among other health issues.
