Draft WHO/IPCS document identifying important Life Stages for monitoring and assessing risks from exposures to environmental contaminants
A significant challenge associated with monitoring and assessing individual and population level exposure and risk to environmental chemicals is associated with how to rigorously consider age and life-stage related changes in behaviour and physiology. Age and life-stage related differences will determine the critical windows of susceptibility as well as the appropriate distribution of exposure factors required to address specific exposure scenarios. Age and life-stage differences in how people interact with the environment may be a major determinant for identifying the individual or population most vulnerable to risks from particular exposures to environmental contaminants.
A draft WHO/IPCS document on this subject is now open for consultation and feedback. This draft document summarizes important issues to consider in determining the most appropriate age ranges and life stages for risk assessment. It then proposes a harmonized set of age bins for monitoring and assessing risks from exposures to chemicals for use globally.
The draft document was prepared under the guidance of an international group of experts. A number of questions to reviewers are posed in an accompanying document. Following the consultation period the document will be finalized by WHO through an expert process.
The document will be linguistically and technically edited and you need not pay attention to stylistic, grammatical, or typographical defects. However, where an expression is misleading or ambiguous, please draw our attention to it. If you refer to a published article, please provide a copy with your response.
In your reply, please identify the page number and line number of the text on which you wish to comment. Please use the "Questions to Reviewers" for submission of your comments, and send this as an email attachment to IPCSHARMONIZE
If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt, please contact us again.
Completion of a WHO "Declaration of Interests" form, is a prerequisite for any comments to be considered in the further development of the draft. Please fax or email your signed declaration to: +41 22 791 4848.
Comments must be received no later than 31 January 2012.