View from European NGOs on mixture assessmentView from European NGOs on mixture assessment

Lone Mikkelsen, The Ecological Council Berlin, 30th January, 2013

View from European NGOs on mixture assessment

The Ecological Council

Mixture toxicity Call-for-Action The Ecological Council calls on the EU to act on six specific points: 1.

Use the Concentration Addition method as the default mixture prediction model

2.

Ensure the use of the precautionary principle

3.

Agree on an approach for assessing mixtures in real life

4.

Explicitly implement demands for mixture toxicity assessment in REACH, the Water Framework Directive, the directive on pesticide residues in food and other relevant directives

5.

Initiate the construction of an addendum to the central EU chemicals database

6.

Not only focus on the endocrine disruptors

Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

REACH: a good place to start • •

•

Tackles the source The major obstacle for broader inclusion in REACH: aims at regulating single productions rather than regulating chemicals in regard to a more holistic environmental/human health concern When principle is in place it should be spread to other relevant legislations

Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

What are we waiting for??

• Clear results from research and scientific tools available May 2012: Commission report on mixtures

• Recognize that, with current structure of EU law, it is not possible to make proper assessments of combination effects of various chemicals • Still propose no changes to the law… → NGOs reacted with a joint letter Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

Default prediction model • Policy is lagging behind latest research

• Unfeasible to evaluate all possible mixtures

• The only logical way forward: reduce exposure as much as possible – be precautionary • Default prediction model: Concentration Addition model – allows for mixture toxicity assessment based on knowledge regarding the toxicity of single chemicals Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

Ensure reliable mixture assessment • High quality of single substance data

• Also use peer-reviewed research • Use pragmatic approaches in data-poor situations • Approach for assessing real life exposures Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

Danish mixture research DTU Food • Sperm counts decreased by 62% • Lost orientation – like women • Cocktail effects at doses where the single compounds alone have no health effect

SDU • Pesticide cocktail exposed mothers • Premature breast development, effects on the nervous system and hypertension in prenatal exposed children

Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

Conclusions • Need for political actions (scientific foundation in place) • Eliminate/reduce exposure • Use the CA method as the default mixture prediction model • Focus on high quality data Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council

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Lone Mikkelsen, 4M: Mixtures – January 30th, 2013

The Ecological Council