Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards Consultations
The Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) are inviting views and technical comments on two draft reports published in May. The first report, “guidelines for metals and metalloids in ambient air for the protection of human health” is the second report by the EPAQS as part of a new work programme in which the Panel is advising the Environment Agency on some of the priority substances that it is responsible for regulating. In this report EPAQS recommend guideline values for arsenic, beryllium, chromium and nickel; metals which are all human or suspected human carcinogens and have been shown to affect human health through the inhalation route.The second report, “Addendum to Guidelines for halogen and hydrogen halides in ambient air for protecting human health against acute irritancy effects”, is an addendum to a report published in February 2006 which recommended guideline values intended to represent a level of halogen and hydrogen halides at which no significant health effects would be expected to occur over the short-term. This addendum addresses the long-term (chronic) exposure effects and as such proposes additional provisional guideline values.
Both consultations will close on 6 August 2008.
Further information about the consultation concerning metals and metalloids is available from:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/metals-metalloids/index.htm
Further information about the consultation concerning halogen and hydrogen halides is available from:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/halogen-halides/index.htm
Source: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ (accessed 05/06/08)