Parabens, phthalates and other synthetic chemicals are still in use, but these days we do not hear much about them

The recent headlines about compensation payments to victims of "toxic sofa" burns have reminded me of all those stories we used to hear about brominated fire retardents and other toxic chemicals that were supposedly in many of our household items. Why don't we hear about these so much any more? Have they all now been eliminated?

P Grenville, by email

Given that Greenpeace has led the way in campaigning against the presence of toxic chemicals in the home, particularly in the lead up to the EU's Reach (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances) regulations which came into effect in 2007, I decided to ask it to say where it currently stands on this issue.

It put forward for comment Dr David Santillo, the senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter, who has authored a number of reports studying the impact of such chemicals. He said:

Toxins in the home are still a major concern, but it is not currently a major campaign focus due to climate and energy issues. The EU's REACH regulations are just the very beginning. This issue is far from being solved. REACH is really just about starting the process of gathering information about all the chemicals we use. The hope is that REACH will usher in a new precautionary approach to chemicals in the home. But many of the chemicals we have long been concerned about are still in use. For example, we are still concerned about brominated fire retardants. And phthalates are still a concern because of their association with respiratory problems in children. There are new concerns, too, such as the perfluorochemicals. But it's the mixture of chemicals that also concerns us – the so-called "cocktail effect". Testing all the combinations of interacting chemicals is virtually impossible. This is why the only approach is the precautionary approach. Yes, these toxins have dropped off the agenda a bit. The media moves on and it becomes old news. But Bisphenol A is a big issue that is bubbling up again. It is found in baby bottles and is likely to hit the headlines again in the months to come.

It is interesting to hear confirmation that "climate and energy issues" have, in effect, started to drown out other issues, such as the threat from toxic chemicals in the home. Many environmentalists, particularly ones who were at the forefront of campaigns from previous decades, now seem to be making this same observation.

"Old" issues, such as mercury poisoning in fish or preventing whaling, were once very fashionable, but have now slipped back as priorities when compared to the urgency of the climate change behemoth. It's unfortunate, but inevitable given the many alarm bells climate change has triggered. But how do you go about campaigning on such an all-consuming issue as climate change, without losing momentum on all the other important issues?

I agree with Santillo that perhaps the most worrying aspect of the presence of so many synthetic chemicals in our homes are the known unknowns of the cocktail effect. We might be able test each of these chemicals individually, but we will simply never know how they all interact in combination. So much for the precautionary principle: we are the proverbial guinea pigs in our very own cages.

As the comments below testify, something must be responsible for the seemingly growing levels of unexplained allergies, asthma and eczema, particularly in children, and it is no surprise that parents are suspicious of the role these chemicals might be playing.

It takes a lot of dedication and discipline, but many people do make great efforts to prevent these suspected toxins from entering their home and it would appear that without tighter regulations this is the only way to guard against them. As Ritariba states, it's a shame, too, that many people are forced to turn to the internet to read up on these chemicals where they are inevitably confronted with either industry reassurances, or emotive accounts of the nasty health implications should you come into regular contact with any of these chemicals. Sadly, I suspect the confusion and fear surrounding many of these chemicals will continue for many years to come.

On 26 April, Leo wrote:

It's certainly a good observation: you're right, we don't hear that much now about the threat of toxic chemicals in everyday household items such as furniture, carpets, cleaning products, and cosmetics.

It wasn't that long ago that Greenpeace and others groups were campaigning hard to get many of these chemicals banned. In 2007, the EU passed into law the Reach (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances) regulation. Much of the noise being created about the threat of toxic chemicals was part of the lobbying in the build-up to these regulations being drafted and signed off.

But that hasn't seen an end to the use of parabens, phthalates and all the other synthetic chemicals we used to hear so much about. Are you still concerned about the presence of these chemicals in your home? Or do you think there's nothing to worry about? Please share your thoughts below and I'll return next Tuesday (4 May) to join the discussion.