Health and Environment Alliance

Common diseases linked to chemical exposures before birth

Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) — 2012-05-16T09:33:47Z

Common diseases linked to chemical exposures before birth

Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) — 2012-05-16T09:14:07Z

Scientists' consensus released on diseases linked to pre-natal exposure. Exposure to environmental contaminants in the womb may result in many individuals being more susceptible to serious disease later in life, according to a consensus statement released at a scientific conference, which closes in Paris today.

INFORMATION RELEASE

Paris/Brussels, 16 May 2012 – Exposure to environmental contaminants in the womb may result in many individuals being more susceptible to serious disease later in life, according to a consensus statement released at a scientific conference, which closes in Paris today.

The draft consensus statement represents the current outcome of the conference, “PPTox III, Environmental stressors in the developmental origins of disease: Evidence and Mechanisms”, 14-16 May 2012. The meeting was attended by over 250 participants, many of them leading researchers on early life exposures and diseases.(1) The statement highlights that nutritional imbalances, infections, stress, and exposure to chemicals, including contaminants in our environment, are all factors which can act on the child in the womb to increase its risk of future disease.

The statement entitled, “Developmental Origins of Non-Communicable Diseases and Dysfunctions: Implications for Research and Public Health”, was presented in the final session of the PPTox conference for comments from participants. Written by a group of international scientific experts (2), it describes how nutritional imbalance and exposure to certain chemicals during pre and postnatal development leads to disease in adults, including cancer and diabetes, and how prevention of the long term health impacts needs to be addressed.

Important points include:

Early development (particularly in-utero) is particularly sensitive to perturbations by chemical exposures with likely adverse consequences for health in later life, including obesity, diabetes, neuro-developmental disorders, precocious puberty, and hormone related cancers, such as of the breast, prostate and testes. Undescended testicles, low semen quality, sub-fecundity, polycystic ovarian syndrome and uterine fibromyoma have also all been linked to chemical exposures.
Chemicals termed endocrine disruptors are of particular concern as these de-rail the home-grown hormones that carry signals from one cell in the body to another. These endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can have effects at very low doses which are not predictable from testing at high dose levels. 900 chemicals are now suspected EDCs.
All complex diseases have an environmental component. The fraction that scientists attribute solely to fixed genetic variation is shrinking as a result of better understanding of the role of environmental influences.(3)
The diseases and dysfunctions resulting from the increased susceptibility can manifest years or decades later and will depend on the exposure and timing.

Disease examples:

DIABETES and OBESITY: Exposure to environmental chemicals has been linked with increased risk of obesity and diabetes in later life. There are now about 20 chemicals that can lead to increased risk of weight gain in later life; these chemicals are referred to as obesogens.
REPRODUCTION: Development of the human reproductive system begins towards the end of the first trimester. A variety of dysfunctions and diseases, such as undescended testicles, low sperm count, polycystic ovary syndrome and testicular cancer have been linked to developmental exposures to EDCs.

Policy implications:

Because early development is particularly sensitive to perturbations with adverse health consequences, both research and disease prevention strategies should focus on the life stages that are most vulnerable.
A policy change towards ‘primary prevention' is needed.
Improved nutrition and reduced environmental chemicals exposures pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and in the first few years of life is vital. This policy shift is likely to have a very large impact on disease rates and the costs of health care, whilst at the same time increasing the quality of life for the population at large.

Representatives from regulatory authorities and civil society organisations were called upon to consider the consensus statement in terms of their future EU and national policy and programme discussions. Robert Barouki, INSERM - Paris Descartes University and co-chair of the conference organizing committee said: “Scientific evidence is now available which wasn't the case a few years ago. Nutritional imbalances or exposure to certain chemicals during the prenatal period could have consequences for health later in life. Although we don't know the exact magnitude of the consequences, the science is there and is ripe for public action.”

Genon Jensen, Executive Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) said five civil society groups (HEAL), Réseau Environnement Santé (RES), Générations Futures (GF), Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), and CHEM Trust welcome and support the consensus statement. The health and environment civil society organisations plan to bring this call to the relevant discussions at EU level, including related to the revision of the EU strategy on EDCs, as well as to other relevant policy fora.

“The consensus statement provides important direction for future policy discussions and decisions on endocrine disrupting chemicals. It shows that more focus needs to be given to preventing harmful exposures during sensitive periods of human development. Up till now, despite the growing evidence of harm from EDCs, changes in regulatory action are happening so slowly as to be ineffective. We expect this important new statement to galvanize primary prevention rather than solely early detection and treatment,” she said. The consensus statement will be published as a commentary in the prestigious online publication Environmental Health (anticipated in early June 2012).

Notes

1. Details of the conference at http://www.toxicology.org/ai/meet/c...

2. The consensus statement was written by Robert Barouki, INSERM UMR-S 747, Université Paris Descartes, Paris 06, 75270 France; Peter D. Gluckman, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 01142, New Zealand; Philippe Grandjean, Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark; Mark Hanson, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA; University of Southampton, Mailpoint 887, Southampton General Hospital, SO16 6YD, UK; Jerrold J Heindel, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P O Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. The draft consensus statement is open for comments from conference participants until 28 May 2012, and then will be open for signatories.

3. One reason for this conclusion is the substantial increase in incidence of many chronic diseases during the last 20-40 years, a time interval much too short to be attributable to genetic change.

Contacts

Genon K. Jensen, Executive Director, Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Tel: +32 2 234 3642, Email: genon@env-health.org

Yannick Vicaire, Réseau Environnement Santé (RES)
Mobile: +33 (0) 608 755 015, Email: res.yvicaire@gmail.com

Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Advisor, Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Tel: +32 2 234 36 45, Mobile: +32 484 614 528, Email: lisette@env-health.org

HEAL Newsflash - May 2012

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:42:23Z

Featuring auricles on: Danish presidency event on health and climate US expert warns on feminisation of boys Industry asked for substitution case stories Fracking: Groups call for precaution Science and policy: Bridging the gap NGOs urge enforcement on air quality Take Action: Stop fracking in Europe before the damage is done! 7th EAP: Heading for the line Health impacts from noise on the EU agenda

- 4. Publications

HEAL Newsflash - May 2012

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:41:40Z

Featuring articles on:
Danish presidency event on health and climate
US expert warns on feminisation of boys
Industry asked for substitution case stories
Fracking: Groups call for precaution
Science and policy: Bridging the gap
NGOs urge enforcement on air quality
Take Action: Stop fracking in Europe before the damage is done!
7th EAP: Will environment ministers deliver on E&H protection?
Health impacts from noise on the EU agenda

Fracking: Groups call for precaution

Shale gas is a dangerous experiment for the environment and human health. In a joint position statement, HEAL and other environment and health groups are calling on EU member states to suspend existing ‘fracking' projects and ban new ones. With the European Parliament preparing to adopt a resolution on fracking, groups urge Parliament to take a strong stand, and not to feed into the fossil fuel addiction. Learn more...

7th EAP: Will environment ministers deliver on E&H protection?

Deliberations on the 7th EU Environment Action Programme are intensifying. On 11 June, EU environment ministers will adopt their recommendations for the new programme. HEAL is pleased to see that both within the European Parliament and among Environment Ministers there is support for health&environment concerns. Yet this commitment needs to translate into concrete targets and actions, as well as adequate financing. Learn more...

Health impacts from noise on the EU agenda

Noise not only interferes with people's daily activities at school, at work, at home and during leisure time but it also involves health risks which can cause sleep disturbance, hearing damage and heart disease. As the European Parliament is currently discussing a proposal to reduce vehicle noise, HEAL and others demand a more ambitious law to address the issue. Learn more...

Science and policy: Bridging the gap

Two upcoming international conferences will present key opportunities to make the link between research on environment and health (E&H) and its uptake by policy makers.The 3rd PPTOX conference on environmental exposures and development and the ERA-ENVHEALTH conference are an excellent opportunity to share new science and start various collaborations. Learn more...

US expert warns on feminisation of boys

Professor Shanna Swan, a leading US scientist and expert on phthalates, was at EU Parliament on 12 April 2012 to present EU decision makers with her latest research findings on the health impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Professor Swan highlighted her work linking exposure to phthalates and a feminisation of boys exposed in utero. Learn more…

Industry asked for substitution case stories

Industry produces and uses tens of thousands of chemicals to make the products we use in our everyday lives. However, hundreds of those chemicals have been linked to serious adverse health effects, such as cancer, developmental disorders and infertility. Environmental, health, consumers and women's organizations are calling on companies to provide substitution examples (or case stories) to an EU-funded project called SUBSPORT, where they can showcase their efforts in substituting hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives. Learn more…

Danish presidency event on health and climate

Danish health minister, Astrid Krag expressed great concern about the existing burden of disease that is linked to environmental pollution at a meeting organised during the Danish Presidency in Copenhagen on 25 April 2012. She said that fighting air pollution was an important instrument to decrease the burden for asthma patients. Learn more...

NGOs urge enforcement on air quality

HEAL and over 25 other NGOs urge commissioner Potočnik to take immediate action against those Member States who are breaching their obligations to comply with limit values set by the EU's ambient air quality legislation. Every day, in many places across the EU, the limits for particulate matter (PM10) continue to be breached although EU legislation entered into force more than seven years ago. Learn more...

Take Action

Stop fracking in Europe before the damage is done!

The European Commission is taking a “wait-and-see” approach on the use of hydraulic fracking and shale gas, which will allow the shale gas industry to continue exploring and to start extracting shale gas. Tell the European Commission that you don't want this extreme source of high-carbon energy, shale gas, to be developed in the EU. Fill out and/or edit the letter as you wish. It will be sent directly to the responsible EU commissioners.

Submit opinions on nanosilver & antimicrobial resistance + nanomaterials in medical devices

The EU Scientific Committees are calling for information (publications, references) for an opinion they will make on nanosilver & antimicrobial resistance. Take action now!

Ensure consultation on future EU environment programme includes heath as a priority The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views on the 7th Environmental Action Programme (7th EAP), which will set out priority objectives for EU environmental policy to be pursued up until 2020. Review the consultation and give your input by June 1.

Members' news

Publications

Media coverage

Annika Ahtonen at the European Policy Centre in Brussels cited HEAL's findings on health co-benefits in her article “Creating a greener and healthier Europe - a policy blueprint” published in Public Service Review. She argues for greater alignment of health policy with environmental initiatives because of the intricate links between the two agendas.

Events

May

10 May - WHO series on Climate change and Health webinar: The role of health in sustainable development: Focus on Rio+20
14-16 May - Paris, France: Conference on Prenatal Programming and Toxicity (PPTOX)
16-18 May - Madrid, Spain: Congress on Risks for Public Health & the Environment
31 May – 1 June - the Hague, the Netherlands: Extraordinary second meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force on Parma follow-up indicators

June

4-6 June - Bonn, Germany: Climate change and health: Lessons learnt in the WHO European Region
4-6 June – France: World Environment Day: Talking Health!
6 June - Brussels, Belgium: EPHA Annual Conference 2012 - Restructuring health systems: How to promote health in times of austerity?
11-12 June - Utrecht, the Netherlands: ESCAPE meeting
13-14 June - Paris, France: ERA-ENVHEALTH final conference
14 June - Parma, Italy: EFSA's 17th Scientific Colloquium on low dose response in toxicology and risk assessment
15 June, Stockholm, Sweden: Why are we concerned about endocrine disruptors?
20-22 June 2012 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20

EPHA responds to consultation on sustainability

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:17Z

Sustainability is now recognised by the European Commission as a ‘European public good' and should therefore be opened to scrutiny of people and civil society at large. This is the main rationale behind the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) participating in the European Commission's public consultation.

Sustainable production and consumption – of products and services - are fundamental to the achievement of a sustainable development of the European Union as a whole. Using resources efficiently also contributes to the EU's objectives on climate change, food and water security, social justice and fight against poverty, employment, public health, biodiversity and environment.

Key messages:

Greater synergy between sectors, such as EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), public procurement policy, energy efficiency and resource sufficiency, environment, transport, and housing, is one of the issues considered vital for a comprehensive sustainability agenda. It has potential for reducing health inequalities and preventing many persisting and emerging chronic diseases, physical inactivity, mental ill-health, fighting poverty and social exclusion, and advancing gender equity as well as boosting local and regional economies;
Promotional information measures encouraging more sustainable production and consumption of products and services;
Improving products and changing consumption patterns;
Addressing markets and prices through shortening production-consumption link and food supply chain;
Redistributing ‘Food-fit-for-consumption', that would otherwise be thrown out, to person's at-risk-of-food-poverty (as part of the EU Most Deprived Persons Scheme for instance);
Addressing health, social and environment-harmful production subsidies and getting the prices right should be adequately addressed.

Full statement EPHA response to public consultation from DG Environment on Delivering More Sustainable Production and Consumption.

10/05/2012

Petition for Breast Care Unit in Malta

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:15Z

The Action For Breast Cancer Foundation Malta and Breast Care support Group Europa Donna have recently set up a petition for the provision of a full Breast Care Unit within Malta's hospital.

These organisations have requested the Minister of Health and the Government Malta to initiate the process for a much needed unit, and for the Unit to be in place before the stipulated date of 2016 in the 4th EU guidelines for Quality Assurance in Breast Cancer Screening.

“We are requesting that the existing specialized Breast Care Team be given the facilities they need, including for diagnosis, and plans for surgery and treatments must be discussed within a multi-disciplinary team, in an environment suitable for the patient, within a Breast Care Unit.

The guidelines dedicate a whole chapter to the concept of a specialized breast unit. “We must all work hard together to achieve this,” the groups say.

10/05/2012

Procedure leaves gates open for banned pesticides

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:12Z

EU Member States and Health DG SANCO allow data gaps on a massive scale in the approval process of pesticides. This is what PAN Europe learned by analysing one of the major derogation systems of regulators known as ‘Resubmission'. The process allows twisting and bending of the rules by Member States (MS) and Health DG SANCO, they say.

In studied cases of different pesticides subjected to the resubmission system, risk assessment for the environment was simply not possible due to lack of data in 10 out of 10 cases of approved chemicals. In eight out of 10 cases, consumer risk assessment was not finalised due to a lack of data. For the pesticide bromuconazole the existence of five data gaps was considered acceptable. These decisions expose people and the environment to unknown risks. Data gaps are not allowed at all by Pesticide Directive 91/414; all required toxicity studies must be performed.

Resubmission is a new “invention” developed behind the scenes by the standing committee of national representatives and European Commission in 2007. It grants the pesticide industry a second chance when a chemical is banned or withdrawn. Companies are granted years of free market access during the process of evaluation in exchange for a “voluntary withdrawal” of their chemical. The threat of massive amounts of court cases from chemical industry and the political desire to “finalise” the much-delayed evaluation of pesticides most likely caused this strange ‘deal'. Industry could not resist such an advantageous offer and resulted in applications for 87 different active substances, which completely paralysed the SANCO and Food Authority EFSA evaluation system over a period of more than three years.

PAN-Europe's new study “Twisting and bending the rules” also revealed that MS and Commission will never ban a pesticide solely because of environmental risks. In 10 out of 10 cases studied the condition of “not having unacceptable effects on the environment” were not met; in seven out of 10 cases even high risks for the environment were considered acceptable for an approval. This is a grave violation of the rules and a systematic undermining of the central criterion for pesticide approval: no unacceptable influence on the environment.

While offering industry this enormous present, the necessary work on the renewal of the pesticide system – as required by the new Regulation 1007/2009 - is halted. No work is being done on the reconstruction of the outdated and insensitive toxicity test requirements or neither on the renewing of the old risk assessment methodologies nor on the substitution of pesticides.

Hans Muilerman of PAN-Europe states: “It is unacceptable that Member States and SANCO are wasting their time on these pesticides only because of fears of being bullied by industry. Regulators neglected their mission to protect people health and the environment and gave priority to putting more pesticides on the market, up from 250 to over 350 now. A reform of risk assessment and a return to a respect for the rules is urgently needed”.

10/05/2012

EU reapproves controversial soil fumigant

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:09Z

PAN Europe reacted with disappointment to the EU's decision to reapprove the pesticide metam. Although the soil fumigant was banned in 2009, due to gaps in safety data, 15 member states continued the use of the dangerous soil fumigant, metam as a result of a loophole.

PAN Europe argued that these provisions were not justified. Alternatives are readily available, such as wider crop rotation and the use of resistant varieties. The fact that 12 Member States do not need to use metam makes it very likely the “essential use” is unjustified.

Last year, PAN Europe urged Commissioner Dalli not to propose an approval and to adopt a policy to completely phase-out soil fumigants. At that time PAN-E also warned of the lack of interest of certain EU member states for a transition to new sustainable agriculture.

Nevertheless, member state representatives approved the reauthorisation in March (published in the EU's official journal on 26 April 2012). A spokesman of the European Commission said the decision was almost unanimous and places strict conditions on metam's use. The new authorisation expires in June 2022.

Hans Muilerman, chemicals officer at PAN-Europe, said the decision was a political one pushed by member states. “If you look at the science behind it, it could not be approved,” he said. Metam has an unacceptable environmental impact and helps maintain agricultural monocultures, he added.

More information:

PAN Europe report: Essential use of soil fumigant Metam Sodium; the unsustainable "15" identified.

PAN Europe: Letter to Commissioner Dalli Concerning Soil fumigation and Metam Sodium.

10/05/2012

Follow up on ‘One Health Sustainable Health'

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:06Z

This two-day conference (13-14 March, 2012) representing the 3rd Scientific meeting of Infection Ecology and Epidemiology (IEE), Sweden, focused on the “One Health” perspective. This concept is a world-wide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans and animals. This synergy will advance health care for the 21st century and beyond by accelerating biomedical research discoveries, enhancing public health efficacy, expeditiously expanding the scientific knowledge base, and improving medical education and clinical care.

Click here to discover a detailed programme of IEE's 3rd scientific meeting

10/05/2012

WECF call for applicants to Rio+20 Good Practice Award

Health and Environment Alliance — 2012-05-10T12:14:04Z

Women-led organizations and groups working on sustainable development in developing countries are invited to nominate their initiatives to be recognized as one of five winning projects in the Good Practice Award: Women's contributions to Sustainable and Equitable Economies at the UN Rio+20 summit in Brazil June 2012.

This initiative perfectly fits Women in Europe for a Common Future - WECF's overall goal of “Achieving a healthy environment and sustainable development for all”. This goal can only be reached by integrating human rights and gender perspectives into all policy areas. Principle 20 of the Rio Declaration of 1992 is still valid: “Women have a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation is therefore essential to achieve sustainable development.”

Initiatives submitted as “Women's Rio+20: Good Practices” should focus on one of the following five categories: food sovereignty, climate adaptation, decent jobs and health, water and sanitation or sustainable energy. For additional information read the application information.

Submit the required forms by Thursday 17 May 2012. The five winning initiatives will be announced on 1 June 2012 after which a representative from each initiative will be invited to attend the Rio+20 summit.

Important dates:

Thursday, 17 May 2012: Deadline for submission

Friday, 1 June 2012: Announcement of the 5 winners Wednesday – Friday, 20-22 June 2012: UN Rio+20 Conference and Award Ceremony in Brazil

10/05/2012