Australia's leading consumer advocacy organisation CHOICE says an investigation has revealed that many chemicals freely available in Australia are no longer registered in Europe because of safety concerns.
CHOICE says they found that many chemicals no longer registered in the European Union (EU) or soon to be removed - either because they were deemed to pose a risk or insufficient information was provided to permit their use - are widely used in household insecticides in Australia.
The consumer group says even if the scientific evidence is not yet comprehensive, enough information is available to question the assumption that there are "safe" exposure levels to toxic chemicals.
CHOICE has come up with a list of highly toxic chemicals about to be deregistered or already banned in the European Union which remain widely available in Australia.
These noxious chemicals can be found in many products which are used every day in households across Australia - in household surface sprays, cockroach baits, termite and ant treatments, mosquito deterrents, flea shampoos, pet accessories and head-lice treatments for children.
CHOICE says many such products contain eight chemicals which are no longer registered in Europe.
The analysis of pesticide use in everyday products found some contained neurotoxin, chlorpyrifos, which is used as a household insect killer, and pyriproxyfen which have been banned in the U.S. for a number of years because of suspected links to childhood leukaemia and effects on the reproductive and immune systems.
Another pesticide, permethrin, is still commonly found in commercial head-lice shampoos, lotions and sprays - the chemical is to be phased out in Europe from October - but permethrin has only recently been added to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's list of chemicals to be reviewed and even then has been given low priority.
CHOICE says that while synthetic pyrethroids have long been hailed a safer option to organophosphate pesticides, some research has shown they can adversely affect the health of future generations and the Australian regulator's permissive, wait-and-see approach to pesticide regulation is out of step with global best practice.
CHOICE says chemical residues can linger in the air and soil, and on floors, carpets and indoor surfaces, where they can be breathed in or absorbed through the skin and some can have immediate and acute poisoning effects, while others can accumulate and remain in the body for years, adding to the body's chemical load every time they are used.
CHOICE says household products containing chemicals as active ingredients which are banned in the EU include:-