As EU member states, regional and local authorities prepare to implement the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), this briefing by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) argues that decision-makers and authorities should pay particular attention to addressing socio-economic inequalities in their clean air efforts. The swift transposition and implementation of the new rules, with strengthened administrative collaboration and the full utilisation of financial support schemes, promise significant progress towards cleaner air across Europe. Improved air quality will be beneficial to everyone and contribute to preventing health inequalities for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

The report provides a review of the scientific evidence that certain chemicals may be implicated in breast cancer, and focuses on the role of hormone disrupting chemicals. Particular reference is made to early life and multiple chemical exposures. Written by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, Head of the Centre for Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK, the report has been peer reviewed by Professor Jan Ake Gustafsson (whose team discovered the oestrogen receptor-beta), Dr Julia Brody from the Silent Spring Institute, USA, and Prof Alastair M Thompson, Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Dundee.
The fully referenced report identifies important areas for further discussion not only within the breast cancer and wider medical community but also within that of chemicals regulation.