Flame retardants, non-stick and waterproofing agents, plastics, preservatives – dangerous substances are everywhere in our daily lives. People's constant exposure to chemical pollutants has adverse health effects that are now well documented by numerous scientific studies. Many of these substances are inextricably linked to the main non-communicable diseases of our time through their carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting, mutagenic and reprotoxic effects. Numerous studies have linked exposure to these substances to asthma, cancers, behavioural and reproductive disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders in children, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, among other health disorders (1).

The biological effects of these chemical compounds occur at very low doses, with no established toxicological thresholds set by the regulatory authorities. Furthermore, these compounds do not act in isolation and their combined effects (or cocktail effects) represent an increased risk of developing diseases. From a health point of view, these effects, and particularly the endocrine disrupting effect, which is therefore not linked to the dose of exposure, highlight the need for urgent legislative and public awareness measures to reduce the exposure of the most vulnerable groups such as young children, unborn children and pregnant women, menopausal women and adolescents. Pending a total ban on these substances and the detoxification of our environment as far as possible, it is essential to bring this issue into people's everyday lives.

The problem of simultaneous exposure to a wide range of chemical pollutants is wrongly associated only with industrial disasters or the proximity of hotspots for the production and use of hazardous substances. In reality, however, it affects the entire population. Our project is not just about providing information, but equipping people with the tools they need to understand, identify and avoid their own exposure. We want them to feel empowered and to take simple steps to create a healthy environment at work, in public spaces and in their homes – and to pass these keys on to the people around them.

The European LIFE ChemBee project, which is being carried out in nine European countries – Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Sweden – by a total of ten NGOs and universities, aims to create a citizens' network to tackle toxic substances. Local groups of volunteers will first be trained and then pass on their knowledge on how to combat exposure to hazardous substances to other people in their neighbourhood. In this way, our mission and tools will become more widespread – and we will ensure that as many European citizens as possible are able to identify and ban harmful products and substances in their environment. By the end of the project in the first quarter of 2026, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people across Europe will have received our messages and feel able to share them with others.

The project partners are developing this network both among the general population, called Ambassadors, and within local authorities, creating networks of public officials called Ecosupporters. As a matter of fact, the workplace is an area of chemical exposure that is rarely targeted by health prevention campaigns, even though people spend a lot of time there and can be exposed to many harmful substances. Local authorities have thus emerged as key local partners in the project – not only because they can play a leading role in local health policy, but also because they are responsible for managing buildings and public spaces. More than fifty municipalities and local authorities will set up groups of Ecosupporters as part of the project.

In order to provide effective support to participants, a digital tool has been developed in conjunction with the work carried out as part of the other European INTERREG NonHazCity 2 project: The CheckED web application.

This application, which is free to use for the general public, applies an algorithm developed by researchers at the University of Gdansk to provide users with an exposure index calculated from the data they enter into the application about their location and lifestyle. By mapping their home – their furnishings and fittings, their everyday products and how they are used – people can get an initial assessment of their exposure to hazardous substances. They can then receive personalised advice and complete the questionnaire again to see how their exposure score evolves. This web application is also a way for the project partners to provide an anonymised overview of the exposure of a large number of users over the two years of the project in 2026. It is also a good tool for identifying the most obvious opportunities and the strongest remaining barriers to reducing everyday exposure in the short term.

The LIFE ChemBee project, with its innovative approach and tools in terms of health prevention policy and its European dimension, will ultimately enable the creation of a citizens' network of several thousand people in around ten countries to tackle exposure to hazardous substances in all areas of life. It will also provide an opportunity to bring this approach into line with the state of scientific research and to reposition local authorities as key players in initiating action to reduce exposure to these harmful substances. A final conclusion event is planned for the first quarter of 2026 and will take the form of a conference open to the public and experts on this international issue.

Access the CheckED web application. Available in 13 languages.

References:

1. Andrea C. Gore, Michele A. La Merrill, Heather Patisaul, Robert M. Sargis, "Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health", February 2024, IPEN and Endocrine Society.

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