04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - An official of the German Federal Service responsible for the environment, Umweltbundesamt, announced that the service was demanding the ban throughout Europe of tributyltine (TBT), a chemcial substance mainly used for coating ships' hulls. As we stand, in the EU, TBT is only banned for small boats (less than 25 metres); yet, it is now also used in the clothing sector and for carpets. TBT, therefore, comes into contact with the human body, whereas its harmfulness...