Better Environment, Healthier People
http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2005/051122_EAreport.htm
Press Statement
22 November 2005
Environment Agency report on Environment and Health
The Health Protection Agency welcomes the publication
of the Environment Agency’s (EA) report Better
Environment, Healthier People (1). It recognises the
impact of the environment on health and well-being and
in particular the effects of flooding and climate
change, poor air quality, chemicals, inequalities and
outdoor recreation.
There are approximately 30,000 chemicals in common use
and less than 1% of these have been subject to
assessment of toxicity and health risk (2). In
addition, the long-term consequences of low level,
chronic exposure to most chemicals and poisons are
poorly understood although about 8-9% of the total
disease burden has been estimated to be attributed to
pollution (3). Consequently, the Health Protection
Agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
EA, and the Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division of
HPA is working jointly with the EA on a range of
environmental health issues including the development
of an Environmental Public Health Tracking System (4).
The Health Protection Agency provides authoritative
scientific and medical advice to the NHS, the EA and
other bodies about the known health effects of
chemicals, poisons and other environmental hazards
(5). This advice covers issues such as:
* personal protective equipment
* decontamination and evacuation
* toxicological and epidemiological advice on
impact on public health
* clinical advice on antidotes and medical
treatment
* the public health impact of industrial sites
* health effects from chemicals in the environment
(including water, soil, waste)
Guidance is available round-the-clock from medical
toxicologists, clinical pharmacologists, environmental
scientists, epidemiologists and other specialists. The
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division also operates
the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) which
provides advice to doctors and nurses on the best way
to manage patients who have been poisoned (6).
References and weblinks
1.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/857406/1218772/
2. Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.
Chemicals in products: safeguarding the environment
and human health. 24th Report of the Royal Commission
on Environmental Pollution. London: Royal Commission
on Environmental Pollution, 2003.
3. Briggs D. Environmental pollution and the global
burden of disease. British Medical Bulletin, 68:1-24,
2003.
4. http://www.hpa.org.uk/chemicals/tracking.htm
5. http://www.hpa.org.uk/chemicals/default.htm
6. http://www.hpa.org.uk/chemicals/npis.htm
Sent by Sylvie
Leave a reply →