science and policy issues in the control & management of environmental hazards introduction...

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsIntroduction

Connecting the Dots: Science and Policy Issues in the

Control & Management of Environmental Hazards

University of California Center Sacramento July 12, 2005

Geoffrey Lomax, Research DirectorEnvironmental Health Tracking Program

Holly Brown-Williams, Director of Healthy Aging and Environmental ProgramsCenter for Community Wellness

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsThe Issue

The safe and effective management and control of environmental hazards has been a persistent public policy challenge. AKA there is a lot of toxic stuff out there.

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental Hazards

Uncertainty Prevails & Surprises Happen

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsMultiple Dots

• AB 289: Chemical testing methods

• AB 263: $ penalties for PBDE

• AB 319: bisphenol-A children’s products

• AB 815: Protect workers

• AB 816: Reporting of chemical sales

• AB 990: Safe substitutes

• SB 484: Chemicals in cosmetics

• SB 600: Monitoring chemicals in breast milk

• SB 849: Office of Health Tracking

Recent Health/Environmental Legislation:

Are we all over the map?


Conceptual Framework

Source/Use

Emission/In Products Exposure

In the perfect world we would have a “source-to-dose” (pathway) perspective to guide

environmental policy. The ultimate goal would be to reduce or eliminate exposure

especially to the most toxic compounds.

Burden / Health

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsSource Reduction

Source/Use

Immediate concern is workers exposed in the production and use of compounds, and how compounds behave in the environment.• AB 289: Chemical testing methods • AB 815: Protect workers• AB 816: Reporting of chemical sales• AB 990: Safe substitutes


The Science of Source Reduction

• Pandora Concept The compound is

persistent & mobile resulting in a large spatial range

• Bioaccumulation

• Toxicity Human, ecological including global change and systems (e.g. CFCs)

Major challenge: Without technology forcing policy, it is extremelydifficult to avoid risk shifting. (see Ashford N.A., McDonough W)


Uncertainty Prevails & Surprises Happen


Historical Note2/4/1988


Understanding Emissions

Source/Use

Emission/In Products

Potential to expose humans and natural systems.

• AB 319: Children’s products

• SB 484: Cosmetics:

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsKids are Unique

• Physiologically

• Behavior

• Life span / long-term social costs

• Willingness-to-pay

• The future


Measuring / Predicting Exposure

Source/Use


How are hazards distributed geographically?

SB 849: Environmental Health Tracking


Exposure Modeling Example

http://www.arb.ca.gov/gismo/chapis_v01_6_1_04/


Policy Evaluation Example

Source: California Air Resources Board; http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/cti/hlthrisk/hlthrisk.htm


Body Burden & Health

Source/Use


Burden / Health

Are hazards entering biological receptors (e.g. people, animals, plants other biota)?

• SB 600: Biological monitoring

• SB 849: Environmental Health Tracking


Dose / Body BurdenRelative Knowledge

PBDE-47 in Human Tissues(lipid normalized)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1981 1983 1985 1987 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

PB

DE

-47,

ng/

g li

pid

s

U.S. (San Francisco, adipose)Sweden (adipose)Germany (whole blood)Canada (milk)Finland (milk)Japan (milk)Sweden (milk)


Evaluation Function

Source to dose knowledge is an important tool for evaluating interventions.


Evaluation Function

Organohalogen Compounds in Breast Milk in Sweden(Norén K and Meironyté D, 1998; Guvenius DM and Norén K, 2001)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

PB

DE

(ng

/g fa

t)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

TE

Q (

pg/g

fat)

PBDE

Total TEQ (PCDD/PCDF/PCB)

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsHealth Effects?

Hazard

EnvironmentalHazard

HealthOutcome

Outcome Prevalence

PopulationExposure

Populationw/Outcome

Linkages?

Surveillance model where population health outcomes (e.g. disease) is tracked in time and space


Health Data to Health Policy

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsSo What is New?

Source/Use


Burden / Health

• Advances in information and testing technology enable better data

• Focus on distribution of hazards as opposed to risk shifts policy frame to accommodate issues of precaution and justice

• More complete understanding of health supports concepts of population health (e.g. urban planning & built environment)

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsHazard vs. Risk

Framework

Hazard

Risk

Focus on distribution of

hazard (e.g. high, medium, low)

Focus on quantification of the probability of harm (e.g. one in one thousand)

Issues

• Fairness (value oriented)• Gold standard

• Technical orientation

•Acceptability

Policy Implications

• Supports public participation and accommodates precautionary action

• Historically creates tension over the “acceptable to whom,” and reinforces expert driven interpretation of evidence

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsEnd

Thank you

Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Science and Policy Issues in the Control & Management of Environmental HazardsManagement of Environmental HazardsComments

• Community members want more information in order to act locally

• Great need for better data, and ability to help communities understand the data

• EHT is one approach, but others are needed

• Goal is to act sooner, avoid health/ecosystem damage

• Obtaining better data at earlier stages allows for policy action with lower costs and less risk shifting

• Science underlies precautionary approaches, not just risk assessment

science and policy issues in the control & management of environmental hazards introduction...

Documents

environmental policy

policy issues

effective management

products ab

workers ab

environmental programs

pbde ab

burden health slide