Consumer Products Found With Illegal Levels of Restricted Chemicals, Lawyer Says

Hélène Duguy, a senior environmental lawyer at ClientEarth, has said that consumer products in the European Union have been found to contain illegal levels of restricted chemicals, pointing to a broader failure to enforce existing EU regulations rather than gaps in the law itself.

Speaking in an interview with France 24, Duguy said PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment, have been detected in water, soil, food, consumer products and even in the human body.

According to Duguy, the health and environmental risks associated with PFAS are increasingly well documented, and alternatives already exist for many of their industrial and consumer applications. She said an extensive regulatory framework governing these chemicals is also already in place within the EU.

Despite this, Duguy argued that the central problem is not a shortage of scientific knowledge or legislation, but rather weak enforcement of existing rules, slow regulatory processes and resistance from corporate interests. As a result, she said, hazardous chemicals continue to circulate in products even where restrictions have already been established.

Duguy's comments highlight ongoing concerns among environmental advocates about the gap between EU chemical safety law and its practical application, as PFAS pollution continues to be identified across multiple sectors, including consumer goods.

France 24 presented the interview as part of its coverage examining chemical safety and regulatory enforcement within the European Union.