Dioxins & PCBs: Environmental Levels and Human Exposure in Candidate Countries

1. Dioxins & PCBs: Environmental Levels and Human Exposure in Candidate Countries Anke Joas 2/3 Feb 2004 Bratislava ELICC Consortium: Environmental Levels in Candidate Countries BiPRO Beratungsgesellschaft für integrierte Problemlösungen

2. Background for Commission Activities • Community strategy for Dioxins, Furans and PCBs (COM(2001)593) which aims to reduce the presence of dioxins and PCBs in • the environment and • in food and feed • to reduce the human exposure and body burden Framework: • European Dioxin Emission Inventory (stage I and II) (1997 and 2000) • Preparatory Actions in the field of Dioxins and PCBs (2001) • Dioxins and other POPs in by-products, recylates and wastes and their potential to enter the food chain (stage I and II) (2000 and 2002) Recent projects: For more information see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/dioxin/index.htm

3. Background for Commission Activities in Accession Countries Council Conclusion of 12 December 2001 which supports the Community Strategy and which stresses the need to involve Accession Countries Enlarged Framework: Current projects: • Dioxin Emissions in Candidate Countries(termination: end 2004) • Dioxins and PCBs: Environmental Levels and Human Exposurein Candidate Countries (termination: March 2004)

4. Objectivies of the ongoing project Aggregation Analysis Comparison Human exposure Legislation Environmental contamination ExpertLaboratories MonitoringResearch Overview on available data StoringDestruction Data /Knowledge Gaps IntegralAssessment Knowledge exchange /Capacity building

5. Methods for information collection Internet research Scientific contacts Project homepage Ministries of Environment Questionnaire Ministries of Health Ministries of Agriculture

6. Homepage for Communication & knowledge exchange Home Project results Discussion forum Events Contact Links Reporting Environment levels Human exposure Legal aspects Monitoring Capacities Other aspects Regularly up-dated with results (after approval by the Commission) • Information on the project background and its objectives • Information on project results • Information exchange platform • Events • Contact • Links www.eu-pops.org

7. Structure: Bi-directional Approach Comparative overview for all countries • Contamination • Monitoring • Capacity • Legislation • Plannings Detailed information on specific topics • Time trends • Local specifities • Congeners • Other

8. Monitoring/Research related to PCDD/Fs PCDD/Fs : Air countrywide system in CZ; sporadic measurements SK, PL Water rare localised sporadic measurements in CZ, PL Sediments only data from CZ and PL Soils measurements in CZ, PL, HU, SK, (EST) Vegetation data rom CZ, (SLO) Wildlife measurements in CZ, EST, LV, RO, (SK) Food monitoring in CZ, SK, M, (SLO) Feed ? Total diet CZ, (SK) Human milk monitoring in BG, CZ, EST, HU, LT, RO, PL, SK Adipose tissue CZ Blood SK

9. Monitoring/Research related to PCBs PCBs :Air monitoring in CZ, some data from SK, EST, LV, PL, Water regular monitoring in at least 6 out of 13 countries Sediments systematic monitoring in main water courses in at least 8 countries Soils measurements started in most countries in the framework of GEF projects Vegetation data rom CZ, (SLO) Wildlife fish and wild game included in food monitoring programmes; fresh water fish in CZ, (SK, RO) Food monitoring in almost all countries Feed ? Total diet CZ, SK, HU Human milk monitoring in BG, CZ, EST, HU, LT, RO, PL, SK Adipose tissue CZ, PL, SK, HU, TR Blood SK, PL, CZ, LV, SLO, RO

10. Priorities of Monitoring & Research soil sediments food human milk fish water adip. tissue blood airveg. relative amount of information

11. Differences in Food Monitoring Meat Game Fish Milk Others Meat Product Fish Product Milk Product DrinkingWater Different approaches based on nationally identified needs • Extensive / sophisticated monitoring • Standard monitoring of main animal food groups • Focussed monitoring of selected indicator foods • Focussed monitoring of food from contaminated locations • Monitoring of imported food only • Different grouping of food items (meat products/fish products)

12. Differences in Monitoring & Research Activities Extended monitoring programmes in environmental compartments & related human exposure e.g. CZ, SK Monitoring in specific compartments/ selected research projects e.g. EST, LT, CY recent start of activities in the framework of GEF projects e.g. TR, M, RO

13. Environmental Levels: Time trend for PCBs in Rivers – Poland Mean annual concentrations of the sum of PCBs (g/l) in the Oder and Vistula rivers between 1992-2001 (data from the State Environmental Monitoring, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Poland)

14. Environmental Levels: dioxinlike PCBs in River Ecosystems – Poland

15. Contamination Sources / "hot spots" • Industrial emissions • uncontrolled burning at dumping sites • domestic burning • soil, sediment at historic production sites and former military camps • transformer & capacitors • contaminated oil stocks • Current knowledge: • emission estimates • stock inventories • future needs: • measurements at suspected sites / major rivers / representative food items / human indicator mediums

16. Legislation: Implementation of EU Directives 4 • 2000/76/EC (incineration of waste) • 1996/59/EC (disposal of PCBs/PTCs) • 1976/769/EEC (marketing and use) • 1996/61/EC (pollution prevention IPPC) • 2000/60/EC (water framework) • 2001/1002/EC (animal nutrition) • 2001/2375/EC (maximum levels in food) emission limits transposed partly problems with safe disposal and time limit for complete depletion transposed; refilling not always forbidden partly problems in meeting time limits transposed noinformation only in some countries already implemented

17. Variations in national limit values for PCBs – Food

18. Laboratory and destruction capacity Country PCB Labs Dioxin Labs Destruction Capacity Estonia 3 0 0 Latvia 2 0 0 Lithuania 2 1 0 Poland ~ 30 5 () Czech Republic ~ 30 3 () Slovakia ? 1 planned Hungary 8 1  Slovenia 4 1 0 Romania (10) (1) ? Bulgaria ? 0 0 Turkey 0 0 0 Cyprus 2 0 0 Malta 0 0 0

19. Analysis of available Contamination data (Impact factors) Number of samples Location of samples Type of sample Analysis method laboratory standard (reference level) Years Age of sample species Number/Type of congeners Data - Pool poor highly inhomogeneous data limited possibilities for comparison need for harmonisation and filling of gaps

20. Major data and knowledge gaps • lack of data or severely restricted number of data in the majority of countries • special lack of dioxin data • small number of samples • different analytical methods and quality standards • different number of analysed congeners • different temporal (year) and spatial (location) characteristics of data • poor availability of data

21. Consequences for integral assessment Best sources for comparison: International studies with identical analysing laboratory e.g. WHO – Exposure study on the levels of PCBs and PCDD/Fsin human milk (2nd & 3rd round) JRC – study on PCDD/Fs and PCBs in butter samples from the European Accession Countries Studies comprising more than one country Studies with analysis in reference laboratory meeting EU quality standards

22. WHO Human milk

23. Annual average atmospheric concentrations of PCBs (sum of seven) from four European sites 1996-2001

24. Baltic herring age group 2-3 Sweden Latvia Estonia PCDD/F [pg TEQ/fresh weight) () number of samples

25. Knowledge exchange & Capacity building • Programmes in the framework of the European Union: • PHARE/ Twinning, ISPA, LIFE • Programmes in the framework of WHO: • GEF funded projects to meet teh obligations under the Stockholm Convention • WHO human milk study • GEMS-Food-EURO • Regional Co-operations, international Conventions and Databases: • Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF), DANCEE • HELCOM, BARCOM (Medpol) • EIONET, EUROWATERNET, EMEP, etc. • Reports, Websites: • Dioxins and PCBs: Environmental Levels and Human Exposure in Candidate Countries • Dioxin Emissions in Candidate Countries

26. Conclusions I Legislative Framework NEAP, NIP, NEMP Achievements Capacity building International conventionEuropean Databases Expert network

27. Conclusions II Measurements to close data gaps Accessibility of data Deficites Harmonisation of sampling & analysis standards Emission reduction/ destruction/ remediation Educational measures for awareness rising