Biggest Ever EU Banned Chemical Application

A consortium of companies from across Europe have made an application to the European Union to use a banned chemical made infamous by the Hollywood film Erin Brockovich. In the movie, the lead role (played by Julia Roberts) fights on behalf of families who have suffered from illness and death as a result of exposure to Chromium Trioxide which contains Chromium IV; a chemical that while currently banned in the EU, is used for electroplating and packaging, electrical fittings, car and aerospace parts and even jewellery.

The chemical is a powerful oxidiser and is known to be corrosive, carcinogenic and highly toxic. Its use was banned by the EU in 2017 having been estimated to cause around 300,000 deaths each year through a combination of nasal and paranasal cancers, lung cancers, ulcers, dermatitis and even asthma.

The application has been submitted by a group of companies led by the chemicals firm Lanxess and hopes to gain authorisation to use up to 11,000 tonnes of the chemical in factories across Europe during the next 4 – 12 years.
28 separate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have written to the EU stating that the application should be rejected on the grounds that less toxic alternatives are available than Chromium, which is one of the ten most dangerous substances in terms of occupational cancer cases in Europe.

According to the EU Environmental Bureau, “EU Law is clear – the health of people and the environment trump the wishes of firms that have known for many years that they need to stop using this banned substance.”

Chromium is among a range of chemicals and substances that are known to increase the risk of developing nasal and paranasal cancers in those whom are exposed to it. Along with some wood dusts, fabric and leather dusts, and other chemicals such as Nickel and Radium, it is recognised as a high-risk substance that people should be protected from in the workplace and in day to day life.

Nasal and paranasal cancers develop in the nose and sinuses of those affected and while treatment can be successful if the condition is caught early, in later diagnoses the outcome can be severe, often leading to death.
If you or someone you care about has been affected by exposure to chemicals or dangerous substances in the workplace it is likely you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Contact us today and let us see how we can help you and your family get the pay-out you deserve.