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Prudent development - a shared responsibility

6 Environment and health Chemicals, environmental pollution, food, physical working and indoor conditions

Denmark should be a country where the impact of pollution from products, food, health and safety, traffic and physical indoor conditions concerning life quality and health is constantly reduced. Damage to animals and plants from pollution should also be limited. The protection level must take account of especially sensitive groups of people - such as children, pregnant women, people who suffer from allergies or from chronic illness - and of particularly vulnerable ecosystems.

Today, the mean life expectancy of Danes is among the lowest in the European Union, and during the last 30 years it has only risen by two years. The primary reason for our low life expectancy is our lifestyle. The Government's Public Health Programme 1999-2008 is to contribute to the reversal of this unfortunate trend and to improve public health. The quality of the environment also affects health. Chemicals, microorganisms and physical environmental factors may be harmful to the health of people and animals and to the environment. The quality of the environment is crucial in a sustainable society.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

Denmark must reduce harmful impacts on human health and on the environment to the greatest possible extent, no matter what the source. The Government plans to formulate an overall strategy for the connection between environmental factors and health, which is to clarify and prioritise measures against harmful impacts on health from, for example, environmental factors, chemicals in products and goods, food, health and safety, physical indoor conditions and traffic.

6.1. Chemicals

Chemicals used in society must not have any undesirable impact, such as carcinogenic effects, reproduction toxicity, mutagenicity or effects on vulnerable ecosystems. By 2020, no products or goods on the market may contain chemicals that have highly problematic effects on health and the environment.

While chemicals provide many advantages in a modern society, they also entail a number of disadvantages. We do not know enough about the effects on health and the environment of most chemicals today. While needing to expand our knowledge, we must also meet the objective of carrying out fewer animal tests. Computer models and other alternative test methods accommodate both aims.

International, active and future-oriented initiatives in the chemicals field are imperative, because chemicals disperse across borders - primarily through trade in goods but also via the environment. While Denmark must continue to be very active in the European Union and other regional forums, we must also contribute to ensuring that binding international agreements and conventions address major global environmental problems.

The precautionary principle is an important political instrument, and the Government must endeavour to ensure that this principle contributes to a sufficient and high protection level for approval of pesticides and for the use of other chemicals. Pesticides are approved on the basis of a risk assessment, and they must be prohibited if their use has unacceptable effects on the environment and human health.

Another important instrument to protect people and the environment against the harmful effects of chemicals is the substitution principle. Substitution means that harmful substances, products or processes are substituted by other less harmful substances, products or processes with the same function. Substances with the least impact on the environment and health must be used as substitutes.

We must focus particularly on the protection of specially sensitive and vulnerable groups of people, especially children and pregnant women. Special attention is being paid to endocrine disrupters.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

Manufacturers, importers and authorities alike must make sure that chemicals, pesticides and biocides can be used in a way that is safe for human health and the environment.

Denmark must take active measures with respect to chemicals by phasing out hazardous chemicals by 2020 that, on the basis of new knowledge, prove to have harmful effects on health and the environment.

In the next few years we must focus on the most hazardous chemicals. Denmark will work for the implementation of the EU chemicals strategy. Increased knowledge about the effects of all chemicals - a set of basic data as a minimum - has top priority. By 2005, basic data must be available for all chemicals on the market for subsequent screening by means of alternative assessment methods, such as computer models. In the European Union, Denmark will work for a ban on substances where no industrial data are available within fixed deadlines.

The use of chemicals must be limited, and whenever relevant any chemicals with highly undesirable effects on human and animal health and on nature must be prohibited. We must avoid unnecessary tests on experimental animals, including repetition of experiments that have already been carried out. At the same time, we must ensure that the tests carried out entail as little suffering as possible to the animals.

Chemicals manufacturers must be responsible for examining all chemicals before they are marketed and to provide comprehensible information on how to handle products without risk to the user or the environment.

It is important to retain a high level of protection in assessments of the effects of pesticides and biocides on health and the environment. Biocide consumption must be reduced as much as possible or substituted by less hazardous substances. The Government must endeavour to use the substitution principle in pesticide assessments. With a view to reducing consumption, pesticide taxes have been introduced, and in March 2000, the Government presented its Pesticide Action Plan II to reduce the overconsumption of pesticides in Danish agricultural production. In the long term, the use of pesticides must be phased out to the greatest possible extent. The Government must limit the use of pesticides in private gardens. Pesticides must be prohibited if their use has unacceptable effects on the environment or human health.

Nationally and internationally, the Government must ensure that children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups of people are not exposed to hazardous amounts of endocrine disrupters. Dioxin is suspected of being an endocrine disrupter. Dioxin emission from known sources must be minimised, and knowledge concerning previously unknown sources must be increased.

6.2. Environmental quality and other environmental factors

The environment must be of high quality in Denmark to avoid the impact of pollution on human health, animals or plants. Contaminated soil must not threaten drinking water or human health. By 2020, there must be no impact of emissions on air, soil or water on human health and the environment. By 2020, pathogenic microorganisms must be reduced to a level that does not pose a threat to human health.

The quality of the Danish environment has improved over the last two decades. However, a number of areas remain where the environment is so polluted that it may affect human health or have negative consequences for nature and animals.

One cause of air pollution is suspended soot particles from diesel vehicles. Recent surveys indicate that suspended soot particles impact on health. The scope of this impact is uncertain. The existing particle level is considered to aggravate conditions, particularly for people with respiratory diseases, and to increase mortality rates. The particle level is considered to have a negative impact on the population's mean life expectancy, but it is uncertain by how much it is reduced. Much can be achieved through cleaner technology, diesel and petrol quality requirements, filters on diesel-driven vehicles and trains and requirements concerning cleaning the smoke from incineration plants. At the same time there is a need for more knowledge about the health impact of the various particle sizes and the population's exposure to suspended soot particles.

Ground-level ozone may cause respiratory problems and damage trees and crops. The yield loss due to ozone is estimated at approximately 10 per cent. The greater part of ozone in the air above Denmark is transported here from the south. Ground-level ozone must be limited by reducing NO_x and VOC emissions in the countries south of Denmark.

Many people are exposed to noise nuisance. Traffic is the most important source of noise with road traffic being the largest contributor. According to recent estimates, more than 500,000 dwellings are exposed to noise from road traffic of more than 55 dB, the recommended limit value for new housing areas. For approximately 145,000 of these, the exposure exceeds 65 dB. The vast majority of dwellings exposed to road traffic noise are in big towns, and more than half are in the greater Copenhagen area. Thanks to the ongoing initiatives of the Danish National Railways Agency, for example setting up sound barriers, the number of dwellings exposed to more than 65 dB from train traffic has fallen to about 7,000. Due to the phasing out of the noisiest planes, the number of dwellings exposed to more than 65 dB from air traffic has dropped to about 1,500. In addition, an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 dwellings are exposed to noise exceeding the recommended limit values from companies and noisy leisure activities, such as shooting ranges and racetracks.

The ozone layer, high up in the atmosphere, must be preserved. It protects the Earth from hazardous ultra-violet radiation from the sun, which in excessive doses increases the risk of skin cancer in humans and impedes plant growth. The greenhouse effect accelerates ozone depletion. In coming years, the thin ozone layer will aggravate the damage.

Industrial waste and air pollution have led to soil contamination - especially in old urban areas. Lead and tarry compounds in the soil are a health problem in particular to children living or playing in these areas. Other substances cause problems because they spread to the groundwater. Pesticide residues, chlorinated solvents, the MTBE petrol additive and oil and petrol may pose a threat to clean groundwater.

Denmark is one of the few countries in Europe to extract almost all drinking water from groundwater that requires very little treatment at water utility companies. Clean drinking water has always been a high priority as it is a vital resource, and its quality is crucial to human health and to industry. Groundwater and drinking water monitoring shows, however, that in some areas groundwater quality is threatened. In rural areas, groundwater is threatened because of the use of pesticides in agriculture, and nitrogen handling in some parts of Denmark constitutes a major problem. Contaminated soil threatens the groundwater because of the inappropriate handling of chemicals in former times. Pesticide use in urban areas also causes pollution of the groundwater.

Discharge to the aquatic environment of metals and xenobiotic substances may affect animals and plants in the short as well as the long term. Many substances accumulate in the food chains and are thus transferred to humans through the food we catch at sea.

Microorganisms are everywhere. Some are vital, others may be pathogenic. We have knowledge of some microorganisms from, for example, beach water, but the risk may also come from waste, sludge and sewage.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

The content of suspended soot particles in the air must be so low as to have no negative impact on the quality of the life and health of the Danish population or on environmental quality. Denmark must focus on reducing the content of suspended soot particles in the air. First, we must get a precise overview of the extent of the problem in Denmark. At the same time we must increase our knowledge about the effects of various measures and technological solutions as a basis for future regulation. The European Union has established limit values for emission of soot particles from trucks and buses. Denmark must establish similar limit values for new passenger and commercial vehicles.

Denmark must reduce acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone. Effective implementation of international regulations on the emission of SO₂, NO_x,VOC and NH₃ in Denmark by 2010 has top priority. In the long term, it will be necessary to set new goals and launch new initiatives to ensure that these environmental problems are solved completely.

In 2002, the Government will present a strategy for reduced noise from road traffic. This strategy must ensure that the objective of lowering the number of heavily affected dwellings to 50,000 by 2010 can be achieved. All dwellings exposed to train traffic noise exceeding 65 dB are expected to be offered noise protection by 2010. Noise is an important parameter for environmental approval of heavy polluters. Companies requiring an environmental authorisation often draw up action plans for noise reduction.

Ozone depletion must be halted to reduce the number of skin cancer cases in humans and improve the growing conditions of plants. Denmark must continue its efforts to phase out ozonedepleting substances.

It is important to continue our measures against soil contamination. We must make sure that soil contamination in urban areas and contamination that may threaten the current or future supply of drinking water does not give rise to health problems.

Clean drinking water remains a high priority. The ban on pesticides endangering the groundwater must remain in force. As a part of the Pesticide Action Plan II, initiatives have been launched to form the basis of identifying areas that are especially sensitive to pesticide leaching. When this has been realised, pesticide use in these areas will be regulated. Regional and local authorities and water utility companies must now implement the groundwater mapping framework and groundwater protecting measures to secure clean groundwater in the long term. Denmark must continue its efforts to minimise the threat to groundwater posed by the MTBE petrol additive, preferably by permanently phasing out this substance. Groundwater monitoring must continue to evaluate whether the measures taken to protect the groundwater are effective and to track new problems. Standards must be set for the approval of materials used to distribute drinking water.

Finally, the Drinking Water Directive and the Water Framework Directive must be implemented in Danish legislation. The Water Framework Directive implies further protection of the aquatic environment. A new system must be established to define specific environmental objectives for ecological conditions in water districts. Concrete initiatives must be implemented based on the nature of and the human impact on individual water bodies. Finally, a water plan must be drawn up which has regard to planning and monitoring results.

It is important to limit emissions to the aquatic environment of metals and xenobiotic substances accumulating in the food chain. By 2020, emissions of environmentally harmful substances must be stopped (the generation objective). Sewage treatment in the open country must be improved. This will also further improve beach water quality. Finally, the risk of known pathogenic microorganisms must be assessed. Pathogenic microorganisms must not be dispersed in the environment to a damaging extent.

6.3. Food Food must be safe and healthy and of high quality.

Food safety must be absolute and the presence of chemical pollutants must be minimised. Denmark must be able to assess risks and effectively control the presence of hazardous substances.

The variety of food has increased and changed over the last decades, inter alia because of trade and food technology developments. There is increased focus on food quality and safety. The environmental effects of food include inadvertent occurrences of hazardous substances. Recent years have witnessed increased focus on pollutants in food, for example dioxins, hazardous metallic compounds, TBT (tributyltin), residuals from packaging and pesticides.

Consumer confidence in food is essential for the sale of products and thus for food production. Residues of pesticides in food products must be minimised. Food must not contain pesticide or pharmaceuticals residues. The authorities must promote consumer confidence in food by ensuring a high degree of transparency about regulations and controls, but producers alone are responsible for the food products.

To safeguard the population against unacceptable residues of environmentally harmful substances and pathogenic microorganisms, the authorities must lay down rules in this field and implement monitoring programmes.

The Dioxin Action Plan of 1999 must provide an overview of the population's dioxin exposure. Subsequently, the need for intervention will be assessed.

For the subject of food safety, reference is made to chapter 9.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

The effort to achieve an absolutely high level of food safety continues. Foodborne illnesses must be combated. The use of additives must be limited as much as possible, and limit values must be established for concentrations of undesirable residuals in food.

Limit values for environmental pollution must be established having regard to the precautionary principle. They must be as low as possible. Limit values must be adapted in parallel with new knowledge. Safety assessments, risk analyses and control of chemical pollutants and chemicals in production must be continued and strengthened.

The Government wishes to give higher priority to EU efforts to establish common limit values for pesticides as there are still several hundred substances without common limit values. In this connection, the Government will emphasise restrictive regulation of chemical pest control in agricultural production.

The Dioxin Action Plan, including dioxin mapping in the environment, animal feed and food, must continue. Subsequently, we must determine where to intervene to reduce pollution with dioxin and dioxin-related substances.

Food labelling must be improved and misleading information avoided.

6.4. Health and safety

All Danish workplaces should form a safe and healthy basis for creativity, quality and productivity. By 2020, no employee may be exposed to chemical substances, organic solvents, heavy metals or any other hazardous health impacts during work.

The Action Programme for a Clean Working Environment 2005 focuses on intensified preventive health and safety measures. The objective is to provide health and safety conditions to completely avoid or minimise fatal accidents, impacts of carcinogenic chemicals and brain injury due to organic solvents or heavy metals. At the same time, we must avoid injury to children and young people from heavy lifting and monotonous, repetitive work, health injury caused by psycho-social risk factors and diseases or serious nuisances due to poor physical working conditions.

As a part of the implementation of the action programme, an action plan to improve health and safety must be realised to bridge the health gap between various job groups. The action plan provides for special measures for 10 particularly hazardous job groups and has subsequently been followed up by designating another 10 particularly hazardous job groups. The 20 job groups encompass approximately 270,000 employees or 10 per cent of the economically active population.

Measures of individual companies must contribute to creating safe, healthy and developing workplaces. An important element of sustainable development in companies is collaboration between management and employees in the environmental, health and safety fields, which should be strengthened further. Chemical substances are often used in high concentrations in workplaces and may affect the health of employees. Employees therefore run the risk of serious health problems, such as carcinogenic effects, reproduction toxicity, brain damage or development of allergies. The hazardous substances may also develop during the work process.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

In coming years, health and safety measures must also concentrate on implementing the seven visions of the Action Programme for a Clean Working Environment 2005.

Workplace assessments must identify health and safety impacts, and companies must draw up action plans to minimise impacts.

The use of chemicals at workplaces must be minimised. Work-related damage caused by exposure to carcinogenic substances and organic solvents or heavy metals must be avoided by using the least hazardous substances or materials (the substitution principle). Companies must receive clear directions for use from manufacturers. Health and safety conditions must be included at the planning stage. Suppliers must be motivated to develop products that take health and safety into account. Both the employers and the employee's organisations must support initiatives to phase out problematic substances.

6.5. Physical indoor conditions

Physical indoor conditions must not constitute a nuisance to residents. Construction and housing materials should be of a quality that neither emits nor develops hazardous substances.

We spend a great deal of time in our homes. We must therefore focus on good daylight conditions, suitable temperature levels, good air quality and good sound conditions in our buildings. Building products and materials must be healthy and must not emit substances or vapours that may be harmful to health. Possible health effects are headaches, respiratory difficulties and allergies.

In recent years, Denmark has developed a scheme for physical indoor conditions with respect to construction products. Harsh measures have been introduced against problems of mould fungus and increasing numbers of people who are allergic to house dust mites. Requirements concerning physical indoor conditions and ventilation in building regulations have been tightened and information provided on suitable measures against humidity and ventilation in housing.

Objectives and activities 2001-2006

The Acceleration Programme for Ecological Construction must support increased utilisation of healthy building products that may improve physical indoor conditions in housing.

Instruments to document the effects of building products on the environment and physical indoor conditions must be developed.

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