Assessing chemical risks

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends giving high priority to hazard assessment of chemicals, that is, of their intrinsic properties as the appropriate basis for risk assessment.

Paragraph 16 of the UN/ECE Århus Declaration requires signatories to conduct further evaluation of hazards and exposures from chemicals and their impacts on human health and the environment. It recommends such evaluations should be based on scientific evaluation, including risk assessment, and decisions should respect the precautionary principle.

At EU level the European NGOs, have continuously been asking for a fast track procedure in assessing priority substances, which goes immediately from hazard identification to action, taking into consideration the precautionary principle.

1. Corporations have succeeded in embedding risk assessment into all US government decision-making processes, so precautionary action is nearly inconceivable within most agencies of government. The public is much better informed, but its democratic institutions (public schools, the press, the judiciary, Congress and the executive branch) have been hijacked by corporate money and now mainly serve powerful elites, regardless of the general welfare.

1. Researching exposure to environmental hazards
2. Increasing international cooperation on chemical management
3. Increasing international assessment of chemical risks
4. Furthering chemical science
5. Exchanging information on programmes to reduce toxic chemical risk
6. Assessing risk

1. Evaluating cognitive effects of environmental health hazards
2. Establishing chemical risk reduction programmes
3. Establishing a globally harmonized hazardous chemical classification system
4. Developing public information guidelines on chemical risks
5. Developing chemical risk assessment capabilities
6. Coordinating chemical risk reduction programmes
7. Conducting epidemiological studies linking chemical exposure and diseases

1. Using synthetic pesticides with care
2. Strengthening capabilities for dealing with chemical accidents
3. Reducing chemical residues in food
4. Providing public information on chemical safety
5. Preventing chemical accidents
6. Preparing guidelines for enacting legislation on chemical safety
7. Increasing technical training on chemical risk management in developing countries
8. Improving information systems on toxic chemicals
9. Expanding chemical safety research programmes at the local level
10. Developing emergency response procedures for chemical accidents
11. Applying chemical technology

1. Translating international chemical safety reports into local languages
2. Standardizing chemical classification
3. Applying environmental chemistry

1. Århus Declaration
2. Århus Convention
3. Chemical Risk Assessment and Regulatory Decision Making
4. Assessment of chemicals
5. Hazard vs. Risk – What is best practice when assessing chemicals?
6. International Programme on Chemical Safety: Methods for chemicals assessment