WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Scientific and technical issues: the role of the World Health Organization Michal Krzyzanowski WHO ECEH Bonn Office Convention/WHO Task Force on Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Joint Convention/WHO Task Force on Health Created by the 15th Session of EB (1997) Reporting to EB through WGE Secretariat: WHO ECEH 7 Annual TFH Meetings – parties «Permanent» members: France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES TFH products: 1999: “Health risks of particulate matter from LRTAP – preliminary assessment” 2000: Preliminary assessment of health risks of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb) 2003: “Health risks of persistent organic pollutants from long-range transboundary air pollution” 2003/4: “Modelling and assessment of health impacts of PM and O3” In preparation: a) “Health risks of particulate matter from LRTAP” b) “Health risks of ozone from LRTAP”

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES “Systematic Review of health aspects of air pollution in Europe”: selected results on particulate matter  Fine particles strongly associated with mortality and other health outcomes;  Long term exposure to current ambient PM concentrations may lead to marked reduction in life expectancy;  No threshold PM concentration below which ambient PM has no effect on health

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Long term exposure to PM and risk of mortality Source: Pope et al, JAMA 2002 TFH 2003: “..apply the relative risk for all cause mortality… in the extended American Cancer Society (ACS) cohort study Pope et al. (2002).” RR= 1.06 ( ) per 10 µg/m3 PM2.5

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Particulate matter

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Fine (<2.5 µm)Coarse (>2.5 µm) Ultrafine (<0.1 µm)Accumulation CompositionSulfate EC, Metal compounds Organic compounds Sulfate, Nitrate, Ammonium, H+, EC, compounds: organic, Pb, Cd, V, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Particle- bound water Dust, fly ash, crustal elements, sea salt, pollen; road, tire, brake pad wear debris Travel distance <1 to 10s km100s to 1000s km <1 to 10s km (100s to 1000s km in dust storms) Selected characteristics of PM10

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Loss of life expectancy Due to PM2.5 from anthropogenic sources Loss of Life expectancy in months Source:EMEP & IIASA

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Summary relative risk estimates (95% CI) for 10  g/m3 increase in pollutant for all cause and cause-specific mortality (Anderson et al, WHO 2004)

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Ozone concentrations (SOMO35) EMEP & IIASA estimates (average meteorology) (no further climate measures)

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Conclusions on causal associations:  PM and respiratory deaths in post-neonatal period  Ambient air poll & lung function development (pre & post natal)  PM and O3 exposure and asthma aggravation  Pb and neurobehavioural development Several suggestions for causal associations in available data The effects of air pollution on children's health and development

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Conclusions of WHO assessments  Combination of local AND regional/international measures is necessary to reduce health burden of air pollution  Significant health effects occurr at pollution levels common in Europe; LRTAP contributes significantly to the risk  The evidence is sufficient to reduce levels of air pollutants including PM, NO 2 and ozone.

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CLRTAP: 22th Session of the Executive Body 25th Anniversary Special Event: PAST SUCCESSES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES Schematic illustration of different PM10 levels in different locations (modified from Lentschow et al., 2000)