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Optimizing and updating the use of health indicators within the environmental policy context
Book - Report
This research involved screening to optimize existing environmental and health indicators in Flanders and to develop a number of new indicators. The existing indicators (DALYs of Disability Adjusted Life Years in MIRA - Environmental Report Flanders) date from 2012, based on 2010 figures. Possible updates are: a) to relate new health endpoints (diseases) to the stressor; b) to calculate major changes in exposure; c) to apply new information on existing exposure-effect relationships.
The analysis shows that several environmental and health indicators can be updated on the basis of a number of new health endpoints that were not previously included in the calculation of the indicator. These are the indicators related to exposure to dioxins, CO in ambient air, environmental tobacco smoke, UV radiation, cadmium and arsenic, as well as the air pollutants ozone, particulate matter and NO2. In addition, the noise indicators could be updated and an indicator on heat stress could be developed that takes into account not only mortality but also morbidity.
The study concludes with specific recommendations for adaptation/development of indicators for endocrine disrupting substances, air pollution, noise and green space. For some endocrine disruptors, an initial rough estimate of the external costs to health has been made. This shows that the impact is not negligible and even relatively one of the largest after exposure to air pollution.
In order to accurately determine the exposure of the population to noise, it is important to draw up an area-wide noise map.
Since people's habitat is more extensive than their place of residence, it is useful and relevant to include in future projects not only static exposure to endocrine disruptive substances, air pollution, noise, green spaces, etc., but also dynamic exposure (the time and place where a person actually resides). After all, people do not spend 100% of the time in one location. And as one grows older, so does the geographical radius in which one moves, in order to shrink again in old age.
The analysis shows that several environmental and health indicators can be updated on the basis of a number of new health endpoints that were not previously included in the calculation of the indicator. These are the indicators related to exposure to dioxins, CO in ambient air, environmental tobacco smoke, UV radiation, cadmium and arsenic, as well as the air pollutants ozone, particulate matter and NO2. In addition, the noise indicators could be updated and an indicator on heat stress could be developed that takes into account not only mortality but also morbidity.
The study concludes with specific recommendations for adaptation/development of indicators for endocrine disrupting substances, air pollution, noise and green space. For some endocrine disruptors, an initial rough estimate of the external costs to health has been made. This shows that the impact is not negligible and even relatively one of the largest after exposure to air pollution.
In order to accurately determine the exposure of the population to noise, it is important to draw up an area-wide noise map.
Since people's habitat is more extensive than their place of residence, it is useful and relevant to include in future projects not only static exposure to endocrine disruptive substances, air pollution, noise, green spaces, etc., but also dynamic exposure (the time and place where a person actually resides). After all, people do not spend 100% of the time in one location. And as one grows older, so does the geographical radius in which one moves, in order to shrink again in old age.
Number of pages: 112
Publication year:2020
Accessibility:Open