In this episode of Eurostat’s podcast Stats in a Wrap, we take a closer look at hazardous chemicals.
We are constantly surrounded by chemicals, from clothing to cleaning products, so it’s essential that we understand their potential dangers. How can we distinguish between useful chemicals and those that are hazardous to our health? What about chemicals that seem safe initially, but whose dangerous effects cumulate over time?
In this podcast episode, we explain how Eurostat tracks hazardous chemicals. We talk about the technical aspects of data collection, the dangers posed by hazardous chemicals, and the improvements made in the EU, including health and safety at work and environmental protection.
Our host Jonathan Elliott is joined by 3 experts in the field: Jan Oltmanns, senior scientist at Forschungs und Beratungsinstitut Gefahrstoffe GmbH (FoBiG), an advisory institute for hazardous substances based in Germany; Carla Teixeira, an expert on statistics on chemical production and consumption in Eurostat; and Aleksandra Małyska, a European Commission policy officer in the Directorate-General for Environment’s unit for safe and sustainable chemicals.
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The opinions expressed in the podcasts reflect solely the point of view of the speakers and can in no way be taken to reflect the position of Eurostat, the European Commission, or the European Union.
The EU Green Week 2026 took place on 3-4 June, with a focus on investment in nature-positive economy.
For more information
- Stats in a Wrap podcast series
- Statistics Explained article on chemicals production and consumption statistics
- Thematic section on environment
- Database on environment
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