French watchdog sounds alert over chemicals in diapers

A French public health watchdog issued a warning yesterday about the risks of several chemicals found in disposable nappies, particularly artificial perfumes, leading the government to demand that manufacturers withdraw them from their products. The Anses health body stressed there was no medical study which had proved health problems caused by disposable diapers.

But “we cannot exclude a risk... because we have recorded some substances that are above healthy limits,” the depu- ty director of the Agen- c y f o r Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), Gerard Lasfar - gues, said. The chemicals identified in the study -- described as the first of its kind -- include two artificial perfumes as well as other complex aromatic products that are refined from oil, and potentially dangerous dioxins.

Scientists working for Anses tested 23 types of nappies in real-life conditions as they were worn by children, which it said was a world first. “We calculated the amount (of chemicals) absorbed, calculated according to the time a nappy is worn, the number of nappies worn by babies, up to 36 months, and then we compared the results with toxicology standards,” Lasfargues said.