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Chemicals, particles and microbes in indoor air
How can potential health risks of pollutants be assessed?
Brussels, 24 June 2008. Indoor air may contain over 900 chemicals, particles and biological materials with potential health effects. When assessing the health risks to the general population and particular vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and elderly people, the principles used in the EU for risk assessment of chemicals should also be applied to indoor air. This is one of the conclusions of a recent opinion by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER). A plain-language summary of this scientific opinion is now available from the EU Directorate General of Health and Consumers (http://ec.europa.eu/health/opinions/en/indoor-air-pollution/) in four languages: English, French, Spanish and German. It is also available from GreenFacts (www.greenfacts.org), a leading publisher of scientific information that was commissioned by the Directorate General to produce this and other summaries of scientific opinions. Highlights of the SCHER Opinion on indoor air quality About GreenFacts GreenFacts asbl/vzw is an independent, multi-stakeholder non-profit organization based in Belgium. Our mission is to bring complex scientific reports on health and the environment to the reach of non-experts. We publish faithful summaries of authoritative international scientific reports. The summaries are written in a language for non-specialists and presented in a reader-friendly Three-Level Structure of increasing detail. GreenFacts' publications are freely available in several languages on www.greenfacts.org. GreenFacts was created in 2001 by individuals from scientific institutions, environmental and health organizations, and businesses, who called for wider access to unbiased information on health and the environment. About the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) The SCHER is one of three independent non-food scientific committees set up in 2004 by the European Commission to advise the Commission on matters of consumer safety, public health and the environment. The SCHER (Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks) provides the Commission with unambiguous scientific advice on health and environmental risks of chemicals, biochemicals and biological compounds. In particular, the SCHER addresses questions related to new and existing chemicals, the restriction and marketing of dangerous substances, biocides, waste, environmental contaminants, plastic and other materials used for water pipe work (e.g. new organics substances), drinking water, as well as indoor and ambient air quality. It addresses questions relating to human exposure to mixtures of chemicals, sensitisation and identification of endocrine disrupters. About DG Health and Consumers The role of Health and Consumers Directorate General is to make Europe's citizens healthier, safer and more confident. Over the years the European Union has established EU laws on the safety of food and other products, on consumers' rights and on the protection of people's health. The DG Health and Consumers has the task of keeping these laws up to date. See also the press release by the European Commission at: Subscribe to our RSS Feed For more information about GreenFacts:
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