BLOOD tests on North-East people have revealed a cocktail of highly-toxic chemicals, according to a report released today.

Scientists carried out toxicology tests on blood samples collected from volunteers throughout the country.

What the screening revealed has prompted new calls for a Government drive to reduce exposure to dangerous substances used in white goods such as televisions, refrigerators and cars.

The tests were carried out by WWF, the global environment group formerly known as the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Volunteers around the UK were asked to give a blood sample in a bid to check levels of chemicals in our bodies.

They found the toxic man-made chemicals in every person tested in the survey.

Volunteers tested in Newcastle earlier this year had the highest recorded levels of PCBs (used in industrial electrical equipment) and PBDE (flame retardants).

The report - ContamiNATION, The Results of WWF's Biomonitoring Survey - reveals that chemicals such as DDT, which has been banned for decades, were also found in high levels.

It has been associated with a range of health problems including cancers and nervous and immune system disorders.

The survey is the first to identify the widespread contamination of people by a chemical used to prevent fire in everyday products, such as cars and television sets.

The flame retardant was found in seven per cent of those tested, with the highest levels of contamination being comparable with those found in people who are exposed to the chemical at work.

The widely used chemical - known as deca-brominated diphel ether - has not been properly tested for safety.

Risk assessments are linking the chemical to damage of the brain and nervous systems.

Justin Woolford, of WWF, said: "The chemical industry is contaminating the nation and the Government is rolling over and allowing it to continue.

"As a major player in Europe, the UK must take proactive action to drive through tough EU legislation which prioritises our health and that of the environment by phasing out the most harmful chemicals in favour of safer alternatives."

The survey, carried out in association with The Co-operative Bank and National Federation of Women's Institutes, blood-tested 155 volunteers nationwide for 77 chemicals.

PCBs and a breakdown product of the pesticide DDT were found in 99 per cent of those tested.

Volunteers in the area who took part in the survey called for changes in the law to reduce contamination.

Jennie McLean, of the Tyneside Federation of WIs, said: "It was surprising and alarming to see the amount of chemicals in my body.

"You think to yourself, I did not put them there and I did not ask for them to be put there."

But Newcastle University expert Dr Patricia McElhatton described the WWF report as "alarmist", playing down the significance of small chemical traces in our bodies.

Dr McElhatton, who has studied possible links between exposure to low level chemicals and birth deformities in the region and found no positive link, said the results were hardly surprising considering the region's industrial legacy.

Volunteers who took part in the study yesterday delivered a copy of the survey to Prime Minister Tony Blair, with an urgent request that the Government take action to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals to protect people and wildlife.