WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Joint WHO/ECEH - Convention Task Force on Health Aspects of Air Pollution (TFH) Health Risks of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP The Joint WHO / Convention Task Force on Health:  Supports the Working Group on Effects and the Executive Body in preparing/substantiating new and/or updating existing protocols;  Evaluates and assesses the health effects of long-range transboundary air pollution;  Reports on the subject. Source: EB.Air.2003/4

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP 1)Plan of work (WHO/ECEH + WGE, accepted by EB) 2)TFH meeting – distribution of tasks 3)Experts prepare background material 4)External review (national experts + additional reviewers) 5)TFH meeting: formulation of conclusions  WGE  EB Task Force on Health: way of working

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Health risk of particulate matter from LRTAP –preliminary assessment (1999) Health risk of heavy metals from LRTAP (2000) Health risk of POPs from LRTAP (2002) (book printed in 2003) Modelling and assessment of health risks of PM and ozone from LRTAP (2003) Task Force on Health: products

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Analyse the health impacts of particulate matter and ozone using newly developed models for the long range transport of air pollutants and applying the most recent concentration-response functions; Continue updating the review of the health effects of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants from long- range transboundary air pollution. Task Force on Health: Medium term work plan EB.AIR/WG.1/2003/4

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Key question: To what extend LRTAP contributes to the health risk of the POPs ??? Format: “Not a full risk assessment of the pollutants, but a more easily accessible comprehensive health overview” Health Risks of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution © WHO 2003

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Substances reviewed 1. PENTACHLOROPHENOL 2.DDT 3.HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANES 4.HEXACHLOROBENZENE 5.HEPTACHLOR 6.DIOXINS AND DIOXIN-LIKE PCBs 7.POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS 8.POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS 9.POLYCHLORINATED TERPHENYLS 10.POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS 11.PBDD/Fs 12.SHORT-CHAIN CHLORINATED PARAFFINS 13.UGILEC

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Project Milestones Dec. 1999Request from 17 th Session of EB 10 May 2000TFH Planning Meeting 2001Preparation of 1 st Draft 3-4 Dec th TFH Meeting - review 1 st Draft 26 April 2002Drafting Group (format of ExSum) May 20025th TFH Meeting - Conclusions 3 June 2002Executive Summary in UNECE 10 July 2002Background document completed Spring 2003Background document printed

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Structure of the review 1. Introduction 2. Characteristic of the substance as the compound with LRTAP potential 4. Health hazard characterization 3. Patways of human exposure and its relation to LRTAP 5. Human health implications of LRTAP

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP SUMMARY OF EVALUATION 1. PENTACHLOROPHENOL(+/-) 2.DDT (+) 3.HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANES + 4.HEXACHLOROBENZENE + 5.HEPTACHLOR ( - ) 6.DIOXINS AND DIOXIN-LIKE PCBs + 7.POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS + 8.POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS ( - ) + LRTAP poses (possible) health risk (+) Potential risk from LRTAP (+/-)Potential risk, more info needed (?)Insufficient info to evaluate health risks (-)Risk from LRTAP unlikely or low at present

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP SUMMARY OF EVALUATION, cont. 9.POLYCHLORINATED TERPHENYLS (?) 10.POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS(+) 11.PBDD/Fs(+/-) 12.SHORT-CHAIN CHLORINATED PARAFFINS(+) 13.UGILEC no eval. + LRTAP poses (possible) health risk (+) Potential risk from LRTAP (+/-)Potential risk, more info needed (?)Insufficient info to evaluate health risks (-)Risk from LRTAP unlikely or low at present

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Temporal trends in the levels of PCDD/Fs in human milk in countries participating in the WHO exposure study (van Leeuwen et al, 2002)

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP WG Members by country

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health Risks of POPs from LRTAP Proposed contribution of TFH to TF/POPs Harmonization of the TFH Work Plan to reflect the future TF/POPs health assessment needs (based on EB /WGS decisions) Possible topics: 1. Efficiency review: Update of scientific evidence on NOT banned POPs Assessment of health risk related to banned POPs (based on available exposure data) 2.Sufficiency review: Survey of Public Health institutions regarding CONCERNS related to human health effects of POPs not covered by the Protocol