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Your shampoo is still full of plastic – here’s what you can do about it.
14 September 2023
Forty-three scientists from five continents, including leading experts in toxicology, biology, public health and environmental sciences, have called for a radical paradigm shift in toxicology and chemical regulation to end an ‘opaque and failing system that threatens human health, biodiversity and global food security’.
The global call to action was published in the article, Scientists’ Warning: We Must Change Paradigm for a Revolution in Toxicology and World Food Supply, coordinated by Prof. Gilles-Éric Séralini, in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Environmental Sciences Europe.
According to the authors, current regulatory toxicology tests rely on partial, often biased or falsified data that do not reflect real-world chronic exposure to chemicals.
The commercial formulations of pesticides and plasticisers, derived from petroleum by-products, have never undergone long-term studies in mammals, contrary to legal requirements.
Yet studies show that these mixtures can be up to 1,000 times more toxic than the isolated active ingredients typically tested by industry.
‘Regulatory agencies validate these incomplete evaluations and conceal their data under the guise of industrial secrecy. This amounts to a global regulatory falsification that endangers public health and the environment.’
PROF. GILLES-ÉRIC SÉRALINI
Toxicologist and lead author of the study
The researchers reveal that all analysed pesticides contain undeclared petroleum residues and heavy metals, a long-standing and widespread practice since their invention.
These ingredients make the formulations thousands of times more toxic, fueling the spread of neurological, hormonal, immune, and cancer diseases.
This widespread contamination now affects the entire food chain and ecosystems, from soil to ocean.
‘We are facing a silent epidemic of chemical pollution. Chronic diseases are surging, biodiversity is collapsing, and public trust in science is eroded by decades of conflicts of interest.’
DR ANGELIKA HILBECK
Biologist at ETH Zurich
The authors also denounce the failings of the economic model born from the ‘Green Revolution,’ which has increased dependence on chemical inputs at the expense of subsistence farming and public health.
‘The current agro-industrial system subsidises the destruction of life. Public budgets enrich major chemical corporations instead of supporting healthy, resilient agriculture.’
DR LOUISE VANDELAC
Environmental sociologist at the Université du Québec à Montréal
In response, the researchers suggest three immediate and concrete measures.
They are calling for a reduction in existing regulatory toxicity thresholds by at least a factor of 100 for all already authorised substances, and want full formulations of pesticides and plasticisers to be systematically tested, at low doses and over long durations.
Finally, the scientists say all raw toxicological data and experimental protocols should be made publicly available to restore scientific transparency.
‘There is no ethical or scientific justification for keeping these data secret. Science must once again become a public good.’
PROF. MICHAEL ANTONIOU
King’s College London
The authors stress that a transition toward agroecology offers a credible and proven alternative to feed the global population while restoring soils and ecosystems.
Research shows that ecologically grown food contains lower levels of petroleum residues and heavy metals and contributes to better overall health outcomes.
‘Today, the world is dying from this toxicity. We all carry pesticides in our bodies, absorbed from our food and environment. The future of our food depends on reconciling science, ethics, and health. Agroecology offers a path of hope grounded in knowledge and respect for life.
PROF. GILLES-ÉRIC SÉRALINI
Toxicologist and lead author of the study
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