Chemistry International
Vol. 22, No. 1
January 2000
News
from IUPAC
IUPAC Observers
Report on the Ninth Meeting of the IPCS Program Advisory
Committee, Berlin, Germany
5-8 October 1998
Dr. John H. Duffus
has submitted the following report:
Introduction
Declarations of Interest
Interorganization Program for the Sound
Management of Chemicals (IOMC)
Reduction of Risk from Exposure to Chemicals
Training Courses and Materials
Research Methodology
Conclusion
Introduction
The ninth meeting of the International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS)
Program Advisory Committee (PAC-9) was hosted in Berlin, Germany from
58 October 1998 by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature
Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. Dr. M. Mercier, IPCS Director, noted
that two of the three cooperating organizations had been going through
a period of reformation and re-construction. In particular, the World
Health Organization (WHO), under its new Director General (Dr. Gro Harlem
Brundtland) was developing a structure of "clusters", of which
a new cluster on Sustainable Development and Healthy Environment would
include the Program on Chemical Safety (PCS).
Dr. P. Toft, IPCS Associate Director, described activities undertaken
by IPCS during this period. Presentations were also made by Mr. J. Willis,
representing United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Chemicals, and
Dr. J. Takala, representing the International Labor Organization (ILO),
to outline activities undertaken by each of their organizations.
Dr. Toft noted that close cooperation had continued with the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in relation to the operations of the
Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and Joint Meeting on
Pesticide Residues (JMPR), as well as with the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) on a number of risk assessment and
risk management programs. Also noted was the strengthening of relationships
with several nongovernmental organizations, including IUPAC. Some concern
was expressed that current WHO restructuring may indicate a subtle shift
away from a focus on human health protection toward social health and
sustainable development priorities. However, Mrs. Singh, the new Executive
Director for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments, had indicated
her commitment to maintaining IPCS as the prime carrier of responsibilities
for addressing human health issues arising from chemical use.
In his presentation, Mr. Willis noted that UNEP Chemicals completed
negotiation of a legally binding instrument for the Prior Informed Consent
(PIC) procedure and initiated negotiations for a legally binding instrument
to control Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The continuing strategy
of UNEP Chemicals includes strengthening of national capacities for
chemicals management, development of cleaner methods of production,
and strengthening of partnerships with other stakeholders, including
IPCS.
Dr. Takala referred to the strong interaction between ILO and WHO on
occupational hygiene and chemical safety issues, with particular emphasis
on a globalized approach to resolving issues of social justice and safe
working conditions. He outlined some of the methods by which ILO disseminates
information on chemical hazards in the workplace, including the availability
and utility of CD-ROMs and internet-accessible databases. He noted that
completion of the project on harmonization of chemicals classification
and labeling (it is hoped by the year 2000) would have a significant
impact on ILO programs.
Declarations of Interest
There has been some criticism of IPCS for using experts from industry
on working groups assessing certain substances. In order to ensure transparency
and to eliminate any suggestion that IPCS assessments may be biased,
a form has been developed for participants in IPCS activities to declare
potential conflicts of interest. The PAC endorsed the Declaration of
Interest form. It is important to ensure the greatest possible expertise
on IPCS Expert Groups while safeguarding the objectivity of the process.
As this effort may sometimes lead to perceived conflicts of interest,
the principle of transparency is particularly important. It was accepted
that the form should be used to disqualify experts only when they are
being paid to advocate a particular position, or where their potential
conflicts of interest are so severe as to call their objectivity into
question.
In order to give this matter further consideration, the PAC recommended
that a small working group be commissioned to liaise with the IPCS director,
representatives of the three cooperating organizations, and their legal
advisors where necessary, to report back to the PAC Standing Committee
within six months on issues relating to transparency and disclosure
of conflict of interest. The PAC members recommended to constitute this
subcommittee are Dr. W. Farland, Dr. R. Fielder, Mr. M. Wright, and,
as an independent contributor, Dr. J. H. Duffus. The objective of these
activities should be to attain a culture of transparency and objectivity
both within IPCS and with outside clients, collaborators, and the interested
public.
Interorganization Program for the
Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC)
The IOMC was established in 1995 to serve as a mechanism for coordinating
efforts of intergovernmental organizations in the field of chemical
safety. The IOMC is designed to be a cooperative undertaking among intergovernmental
organizations that, within the framework of their own respective constitutional
mandates, work together as partners to promote international work. Scientific
and technical work under the framework of the IOMC is carried out through
the existing structures of the participating organizations, either individually
or jointly. The original six participating organizations are UNEP, ILO,
FAO, WHO, United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO),
and OECD. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
formally joined the IOMC as a participating organization in January
1998.
Specific technical level coordinating groups have been established
in relation to the following program or subprogram areas: harmonization
of classification and labeling of chemicals, chemical information exchange,
chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response, and pollutant
release and transfer registers. These groups provide a regular means
for all interested bodies working in the respective areas to consult
with each other on program plans and activities, and to discuss ways
and means of ensuring that the activities are mutually supportive. With
agreement of the IOMC participating organizations, international organizations,
regional organizations, governments, and interested industry, labor,
and public interest groups that have significant activities in the respective
areas can be invited to participate in the coordinating groups. The
Terms of Reference and Secretariat contact for each of the IOMC coordinating
groups is available on the IOMC web site (http://www.who.int/iomc/cg.html).
IOMC publishes biannually a calendar of events to inform governments,
intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations about
forthcoming events of the participating organizations in the area of
chemical safety related to the programs and work of Chapter 19, Agenda
21. The IOMC calendar is available on the IOMC web site, from the IOMC
Secretariat, or from any of the participating organizations. Furthermore,
to facilitate provision of information and use of developed materials,
an annotated list of available training materials will be posted on
the IOMC web site and linked to the Inventory of Information Sources
on Chemicals on UNEPs web site.
Reduction of Risk from Exposure to Chemicals
The following various activities were proposed.
Public Awareness Activities
With the goal of promoting the safe use of chemicals through public
information and education campaigns, existing materials prepared by
IPCS and collected from countries (e.g., publications, audiovisual
material, brochures, posters, and examples of poisons prevention campaigns)
are being assembled into a package, which may be adapted to the needs
of individual countries and used for primary prevention activities.
Characterization of Populations
In order to promote better understanding of the impact of chemicals
on vulnerable groups, such as children, women, malnourished people,
and specific groups of workers, and to encourage prevention, it was
recommended that IPCS consult widely with other organizations who
may have collected data on vulnerable populations in order to enable
risk assessments for such vulnerable groups to be made using relevant
data.
Training Courses and Materials
Training activities for poisoning prevention and treatment include
the following:
Operating Analytical Facilities: An introductory (half-day)
course by Dr. R. Braithwaite (Birmingham, England, UK) with members
of the INTOX Analytical Group. An advanced level (one- to two-week)
course, with practical laboratory training, is at the planning stage.
Provision of Evaluated Information: Work plans for preparation
of further evaluated documents for poisons control, up to the end
of 1999, include 100 Poisons Information Monographs (PIMs), of which
30 will contain analytical sections where laboratory techniques are
important for patient diagnosis and management; 23 Treatment Guides;
and Antidote Volumes (chelating agents; organophosphorus poisoning;
amatoxin, gyrometrine, and isoniazid poisoning; decontamination procedures;
and enhancement of elimination). During the biennium 20002001,
a further 150 PIMs and 3 Antidote Volumes are scheduled for preparation.
These publications will be issued on INTOX and INCHEM CD-ROMs biennially,
as well as on the INCHEM web site, and summaries of the Antidote Volumes
will appear in Clinical Toxicology.
Information Management Tools and Networking: Systems development
during the period up to the end of 1999 is expected to include the
following:
- An enhanced Version 4 of the INTOX CD-ROM, tested for single
and multiple PC terminal use, and issued in English, French, Portuguese,
and Spanish (for use at poisons centers).
- A database management system for a chemicals products register
(for use in ministries and other institutions).
- Specific software applications based on the INTOX system, including
a system for the Pesticide Epidemiology Project (see IPCS/PAC/98.15).
- Enhancement of the INTOX CD-ROM, with facilities for downloading
substance characteristics and product information into the INTOX
Version 4 system.
Other Activities
Other proposed activities include the following:
Assembling guidance on emergency intervention levels for chemicals
in a major incident.
Expanding the number of Chemical Emergency Response Cards
for first responders. A list of priority chemicals is being drawn
up, based on a survey of the most commonly involved chemicals in incidents
to which emergency services respond.
Completion and testing of a modular, multilevel training course
on chemical incident response for different authorities and issuing
material in English, French, and Spanish (depends on availability
of funding).
Completion and testing of the database management software
systems for the full range of proposed registries and issuing it in
English, French, and Spanish, including the provision of users
manuals and training packages.
Developing a database that consolidates evaluated information
for chemicals emergency response in order to provide a compendium
of official reviews of major incidents and results of the international
data exchange on incidents; to be issued biannually on CD-ROM and
updated regularly on the Web as a contribution to the Global Information
Network on Chemicals (GINC) (depends on availability of funding).
Consolidating an international data exchange mechanism for
major chemical incidents with analysis and dissemination of the data
(e.g., on CD-ROM and the Web, as proposed above), with consideration
of the need for regional mechanisms through regional WHO Collaborating
Centers.
Risk Assessment Issues
The first 12 Concise International Chemical Assessment Documents
(CICADs) have been completed and a guidance manual compiled for authors
involved in the preparation of these documents. IPCS has collaborated
with OECD in the preparation of the documents, and this collaboration
will continue to include IPCS involvement in OECD assessments of existing
chemicals, concentrating on high production volume chemicals.
Continuing efforts are being made to ascertain the effective
use of Environmental Health Criteria documents to ensure that they
are meeting their objectives.
Risk assessment and safety evaluation of pesticides continues,
with increased efforts to obtain and ensure international collaboration
in these matters. While appreciating that current IPCS links with
FAO on issues of pesticide risk assessment could facilitate the collection
of data on pesticide exposures and health impacts, the PAC considered
that the problem requires partnership with a broader range of stakeholders,
including industry and various national, regional, intergovernmental,
and nongovernmental organizations. The PAC recommended that the IOMC
may be well placed to assist with coordinating this liaison. Partnership
with industry was considered to be vital, because there is a need
for ready access to information on pesticide product formulations.
The PAC noted and encouraged the further development of efforts to
harmonize pesticide risk assessment processes, particularly those
intended to make more use of existing national assessment documents.
The work on risk assessment of endocrine disrupters will produce
an online repository of global research on the health and ecological
effects of these substances. In addition, a scientific peer-reviewed
global assessment document will be published to summarize what is
known and what remains unknown about the effects of endocrine disrupters.
Research Methodology
Development of risk assessment methodology will continue, and research
in this area will be encouraged, particularly with reference to the
derivation of better exposure guidance values. It was recommended that
the intended outcomes of the research methodology projects specifically
address connectivity with other IPCS risk assessment programs so that
they may be applied strategically to achieve overall program objectives.
Such projects could also have an important catalytic role in promoting
collaborative research activities, seminars, and workshops, with the
opportunity to achieve useful outcomes in risk assessment methodology
with only a modest investment of scarce IPCS resources. It was further
recommended that IPCS continue to play a role in developing methodological
documents on the principles of risk assessment.
Conclusion
As an observer at this meeting, I was impressed by the wide range of
activities sustained by IPCS on rather meager funds. It is a pity that
the work of IPCS is not better known in the chemical community. This
relative obscurity exists largely because IPCS has not been as well
publicized as it should be by WHO or by national governments via their
public information services. For some reason, the publications side
of WHO is much less successful in marketing its products than are commercial
publishers. Part of the solution, identified by PAC, is to draw the
attention of WHO to the need to make the IPCS component of its web site
more visible and accessible to those seeking information on chemical
safety programs. PAC also recommended that its members actively seek
to promote the use of IPCS information resources, such as INCHEM, INTOX,
etc., within their own regions. For myself, I strongly recommend that
every instition involved in chemistry and concerned about the safety
of chemicals make full use of IPCS publications as the most reliable
source of evaluated information available in this area.