Tools on sale in Sweden could cause cancer
Louis Roper - [email protected]
Published: 10 Jun, 2006 CET.
Updated: Sat 10 Jun 2006 11:58 CET
Electrical tools on sale in Swedish DIY superstores could contain high levels of a carcinogenic substance.
Despite the fact that the handles of certain tools were found to contain a dangerous amount of benzopyrene two months ago, Swedish Bauhaus stores have still not removed them from their shelves, according to Saturday's Dagens Nyheter.
The rubber handles on a hammer drill and a sanding machine were found to contain 670 micrograms of Benzopyrene per kilo. The safety limit set for car tyres is 1 microgram of Benzopyrene per kilo.
Benzopyrene is known to cause several kinds of cancer, including skin cancer.
"When I first heard about these levels I was convinced that there was something wrong with the figures - but there wasn't," said Sten Flodström, a toxicologist at the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate, to DN.
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Despite the fact that the handles of certain tools were found to contain a dangerous amount of benzopyrene two months ago, Swedish Bauhaus stores have still not removed them from their shelves, according to Saturday's Dagens Nyheter.
The rubber handles on a hammer drill and a sanding machine were found to contain 670 micrograms of Benzopyrene per kilo. The safety limit set for car tyres is 1 microgram of Benzopyrene per kilo.
Benzopyrene is known to cause several kinds of cancer, including skin cancer.
"When I first heard about these levels I was convinced that there was something wrong with the figures - but there wasn't," said Sten Flodström, a toxicologist at the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate, to DN.
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