Over 100 companies in the Netherlands have admitted that they are releasing more highly dangerous chemicals into the environment than they used to, even though they have a legal duty to prevent or limit them.

RTL Nieuws looked at the self-reported emissions of “substances of very high concern” (SVHCs) at 224 companies which were made public this year for the first time. Almost half the companies said their emissions had risen between 2015 and 2021.

The chemicals, of which there are over 2,000, include benzene, formaldehyde, mercury and lead which can be particularly harmful to the development of babies and young children.

Since 2016 companies have had a legal duty to prevent or minimise the emission of SVHCs but enforcement and monitoring is proving complex.

Toxicologist Paul Scheepers said the figures were “shocking”. “You want to prevent these emissions and every extra bit contributes to the risk,” he said. “There are many places in the Netherlands where poisonous substances enter the atmosphere and many people are being exposed to them. Any rise, even as little as 1% is a very serious matter.”

Scheepers said that the rise in four different types of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) which are highly carcinogenic is particularly worrying.

“PAHs have been linked to cancer of the lungs and bladder. Even the minutest amounts can be harmful,” Scheepers said.

The figures seem to confirm the conclusion the environmental inspectorate ILT came to in 2018, when it said companies “are not taking meaningful action to phase out or minimise emissions”.

Provinces and environmental services tasked with monitoring emissions told RTL that enforcing the rules is difficult in practice. Research bureau Berenschot also concluded that the services often lack the necessary expertise.