22 percent of sports and leisure products tested by the Environment Directorate (Miljødirektoratet) contain illegal or hazardous substances.
The directorate believes the industry is one of the worst at following regulations.
They tested a total of 63 sports and leisure products sold in Norwegian sporting goods stores, department stores and online stores. Four out of ten products contained illegal substances, reported the newspaper VG.
‘Many of the products in this market, such as water and oil repellents, windproof materials and flame retardants provide a potential risk through containing chemicals that are harmful to the environment and to health’, said Environment Directorate department chief Bjørn Bjørnstad.
Many of the products contain hazardous or illegal substances because they are often produced in countries outside Europe, which have other regulations.
Deka-BDE, SCCP og DEHP were among the substances found in products tested.
Deka-BDE is toxic to aquatic life and may cause liver and foetal damage. It contains endocrine disruptive substances and causes damage to the nervous system. SCCP is harmful to humans and animals, and can cause long term damage to the environment. DEHP can affect your ability to have children.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
