10.E. Scientific session: Confronting the hidden risks: unveiling the disease burden of chemicals in Europe
Authors:   Organised by: European Burden of Disease Network,   Chair persons: Brecht Devleesschauwer (Belgium), Sara Monteiro Pires (Denmark)
Published: October 2024

With increasing industrialization and globalization, Europe faces a complex landscape of chemical hazards, ranging from persistent organic pollutants like PFAS to foodborne chemicals and beyond. Understanding the extent of these exposures and their associated population health risks is crucial for environmental and health policy making across Europe. The burden of disease methodology, particularly through metrics such as Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), combined with economic costs, plays a crucial role in assessing and addressing the impacts of chemicals on population health. DALYs provide a comprehensive measure that quantifies both the years of life lost due to premature death and the years lived with disability, offering a holistic understanding of the disease burden caused by chemical exposures. Additionally, incorporating economic costs into the analysis enables the evaluation of the financial burden imposed by chemical-related illnesses on healthcare systems, productivity, and societal well-being. By leveraging the burden of disease methodology, stakeholders can make evidence-based decisions to protect health of populations and allocate resources effectively, ultimately promoting healthier environments and communities. Several global and European initiatives provide platforms for evidence generation, knowledge-sharing, and action to address the disease burden of chemicals. At the global level, the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group of the World Health Organization (WHO/FERG) has estimated the global burden of foodborne diseases, including those caused by chemical contaminants in foods. At European level, the health impact of PFAS and other chemicals of high concern is being spearheaded by the European Environment Agency’s European Topic Centre on Human Health and the Environment, and the European Partnership on the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC). Furthermore, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has established a project of an unprecedented scale to measure the economic value of the effects of chemicals on human health. Complementary to these international initiatives, various countries have started to unravel the burden of chemicals based on local data and contextual insights. In this workshop, we will present the state-of-the-art of the disease burden of chemicals, by bringing together insights from key international and national burden of disease initiatives, emphasizing the imperative of addressing the cost of policy inaction in safeguarding public health. We will also show how burden of disease estimates for chemicals can help to monitor the trends towards relevant environment and health goals such as those described in the EU’s zero pollution ambition. Through collaborative discussions and knowledge-sharing, we aspire to identify actionable strategies for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to effectively address these challenges and promote a healthier future for all.

Key messages

• Understanding the vital importance of chemical risks for European health, the utilization of DALY and economic costs reveals their true burden, guiding evidence-based policies.

• Global, regional and national initiatives are examining the impacts of chemicals worldwide, contributing to evidence gathering and policy shaping.