| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next |

Environment and Health are Closely Related

2 Environmental factors

Environmental factors is a generic term for a number of chemical, biological, and physical factors to which we are exposed in the environment, via food, at work, and during our leisure time, and which can affect our health.

2.1 Chemical substances

Chemicals can provide many advantages but they also entail a number of disadvantages. Some chemicals can have undesirable effects, such as carcinogenic effects, reproductive effects, mutagenic effects, or allergenic effects, or they can affect vulnerable ecosystems. The negative impact from chemicals has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. We currently use more chemical substances, in greater quantities, and in a much larger number of applications than ever before. The goal is that by 2020, no products or goods on the market will contain chemicals with highly problematic effects on health or the environment.

Objectives and activities in the near future

The primary objectives are to reduce the environmental impacts from chemicals; to phase out or limit particularly harmful chemical substances; to build knowledge about the harmful effects of chemical substances in order to prioritise initiatives; and to develop new methods to acquire data on effects on health.

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.

Initiatives regarding chemicals will therefore continue at three levels; in Denmark, in the EU, and globally.

At global level, Denmark will continue its work to promote the implementation of chemical conventions, already adopted and signed, to phase out particularly harmful substances. This applies to the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, PIC, and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, POP. Furthermore, Denmark will work to create a global convention on heavy metals, where mercury is the first metal to be addressed.

Through the EU, Denmark will be active in the chemicals field so that up to 2020 we phase out chemicals with especially problematic effects on the environment and health, for example carcinogenic effects, reproductive effects, mutageniceffects or harmful effects on vulnerable ecosystems. In connection with the new EU strategy on chemicals, Denmark will place special emphasis on initiatives to improve knowledge about the effects and occurrence of chemicals, and how chemicals are used in products. The Strategy includes the REACH system (Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). The system is based on registering and assessing chemical substances. Moreover, REACH includes an authorisation scheme where the most hazardous substances (CMR substances and POPs) are automatically banned unless authorised for a special application. Denmark will continue work to bring endocrine disrupters and other especially problematic substances under the authorisation scheme. Furthermore, bioaccumulating and persistent toxic substances should also be included in this scheme. Finally, substances produced in quantities of less than one tonne should be covered by a simple registration scheme that makes it possible to identify especially problematic substances. Another objective is that substances without data should not be marketed in the EU.

The Ministry of the Environment will continue work on preparing lists of problematic chemical substances that can guide work on substituting problematic substances with less harmful ones. Similar endeavours will take place within the working environment field.

On the basis of the current investigation of sources of dioxins, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries will establish and implement measures to reduce as far as possible exposure of people to dioxins and dioxin-like substances.

Computer-aided assessments of substances will be further developed. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Health, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs, and the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of the Environment will assess whether the results of computer modelling (for example QSAR assessments) can be applied in existing legislation.

The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Employment will use a common product register as part of work to monitor and replace dangerous substances with less hazardous ones. 

2.2 Biological environmental factors

People are exposed to biological impacts in the external environment, the working environment, the indoor climate, and through contact with a large number of products, primarily food and water. Some micro-organisms can result in serious diseases, while others do not cause health problems.

Objectives and activities in the near future

The objective is to ensure a high level of protection by reducing the pathogenic micro-organisms to a level that will not cause effects harmful to health.

Please see sections 3.7 Infectious diseases, 4.2 The working environment, 4.5 Water, and 5.3 Research – needs and initiatives.

2.3 Physical environmental factors

Noise, radiation, and particles in the air are all physical environmental factors that can negatively affect health. However, the effects and the sources are different.

Objectives and activities in the near future

For noise, the overall objective is to remove or silence sources of noise that emit noise above the limit values.

For radiation, the overall objective is to reduce the harmful effects of radiation on humans as far as possible, including through consultancy.

For air, the overall objective is to achieve air quality where emissions of substances harmful to health affect people as little as possible.

Please see sections 4.2 The working environment, 4.4 Air, 4.8 Noise, 4.9 Radiation, and 5.3 Research – needs and initiatives.

| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next | | Top |