1. NORMAN Co-ordination Action
Valeria Dulio
INERIS (France)

2. Project identification
6th Framework Programme
Priority Global Change and Ecosystems
18 partners
Coordination: INERIS
Start date: 1 September 2005
Kick-off meeting: 7-8 September 2005
Duration: 3 years
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

3. CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005
Project objectives:
Creation of a network among European reference laboratories and related organisations dealing with emerging environmental pollutants for which Europe-wide data are lacking.
The approach will foster:
co-operation and data transfer of environmental analysis between monitoring institutes, risk assessors and regulatory bodies
validation and harmonisation of common measurement methods and monitoring tools so that the demands of risk assessors and risk managers can be better met.
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

4. REGULATED vs EMERGING pollutants
Since the 70’: focus on conventional priority pollutants - almost exclusively POP and PBT
However, this represents but one piece of a much larger universe of potential pollutants
Since the 70s the impact of chemical pollution has focused almost exclusively on lists of conventional priority pollutants, especially those collectively referred to as PBT or POPs.
The relatively small number of conventional, regulated pollutants, however, represents but one piece of a much larger universe of potential pollutants.
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

5. Emerging environmental pollutants
Not necessarily “new substances”
Previously unknown / ignored adverse effects
Most frequently discussed:
pharmaceutical and veterinary products,
EDC,
brominated flame retardants,
polar pesticides,
PFOA/PFOS, sunscreens/UV filters, drinking water disinfection by-products, nanoparticles, etc..
Emerging pollutants are not necessarily new chemicals. Il s’agit de pollutants that often have long been present in the environment (but whose presence and significance are only now been elucidated).
A substance is today referred to as an “emerging pollutant” most often as a result of previously unrecognised adverse effects on the ecosystems. So “emerging pollutants” can be defined as substances that are not part of routine monitoring programmes but that may be candidate for future regulations depending on the results of research on their effects (on the ecosystems and human health) and their occurrence in the environment.
Emerging pollutants that are most often discussed today range from pharmaceuticals, personal care products (cosmetics), endocrine disprupting substances, nanoparticles, etc…
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

6. Identifying and addressing new risks as they emerge
Occurrence
/hazard
Emerging risks
Health
Research programmes
Media
Network of reference
national labs
Public authorities/
regulatory bodies
How is a substance identified as an emerging pollutant? How do emerging pollutants become regulated pollutants? What investigation actions (monitoring etc..) are needed when an emerging pollutant is identified?
The public authorities are alerted to emerging risks by published research studies (occurrence of a new pollutant, studies of its effects, results from epidemiology or ecotoxicology studies) and the media. The authorities then find themselves in need of technical support for their decision-making.
Data on exposure, transport and fate, effects etc. are crucial in obtaining evidence and clearly demonstrating that an identified emerging substance is becoming a real threat to public health and the environment. Obviously in the case of emerging substances these data are often lacking and the measurement methods available are often at the research stage, or at least, not yet harmonised at EU level. This makes it difficult to interpret and compare the results and represents a major difficulty for the authorities in their decision-making.
It is therefore often necessary on the one hand to research more deeply (further research is therefore often needed). But on the other hand, besides this, in the case of substances for which methods are already developed (methods are beyond the development phase) it is also necessary to prepare adequate protocols and validate them at a wider application level, if necessary up to the routine laboratory level.
A specialised research laboratory would have no much interest in this application phase of the research (close to the regulatory application). This role could on the contrary very well be covered by so-called “national reference laboratories” that are mandated to offer technical and scientific support to public authorities in their countries. (the organisation of the mission of these type of institutes may vary from one country to the other in EU) However, we can see as a common point that these type of institutes should, as part of their missions, 1) be directly involved in research programmes in consortia with specialised / “pure research institutes” and also 2) be familiar and directly involved in regulatory activities in support of public bodies.
Regulatory activities
Protocols validation /
QA/QC
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

7. A network of national reference laboratories:
To maintain scientific watch (observatory) in order to advise authorities and anticipate research needs
To identify, thanks to direct involvement in research programmes, potential participants for starting further research projects
To find partners to organise the application of measurement methods at the regulatory level (e.g. preparation and validation of protocols, organisation of inter-laboratory studies, etc..)
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

8. NORMAN: Contribution to CMA and WFD
Identification of data gaps, research needs
support for revision of PS list and monitoring of river basin-specific pollutants (numerous emerging pollutants are being identified within the on-going investigative and surveillance monitoring programmes in all major EU RB):
method validation protocols for emerging pollutants
databases
observatory of information on emerging pollutants (Newsletter, workshops, networking activities across Europe)
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

9. Observatory of information on emerging substances:
Forthcoming Workshop: « Emerging pollutants: Key Issues and Challenges »
Organised by INERIS, JRC-IES, UK EA
19-20 June 2006 (Stresa, Italy)
3 additional thematic workshops during the course of the project
Newsletter (with review of scientific articles)
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

10. Three databases to collect information on emerging substances:
EMPOMAP: experts, projects, institutes / labs
EMPODAT: monitoring data
EMPOMAS: mass spectra
Protocols / guidelines for evaluation of the quality of the data
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

11. Methods Validation Protocols
Development of protocols
3 different validation
scenarios
Test phase of protocols
Inter-laboratory studies
Improvement & Implementation §§
New Work Item proposals
at CEN for development
of guidelines
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

12. CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005
NORMAN CONSORTIUM
1. INERIS (FR) Biosense (NO)
2. BRGM (FR) ITM (SE)
3. CEMAGREF (FR) UKEA (UK)
4. RIVO (NL) VUVH (SK)
5. VUA (NL) EI (SK)
6. UBA (D) NPL (UK)
7. IWW (D) JRC-IES (IT)
8. CSIC (E) Fh-IME (D)
9. JSI (SLO) RIVM (NL)
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

13. CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005
Advisory Group :
CEN: Comité Européen de Normalisation
ICPDR: Int. Commission Protection Danube River
ECETOC: European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals
EEA: European Environment Agency
DG Environment
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

14. Thank you for your attention
If you need more information, you can contact me at :
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

15. CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005

16. Information exchange:
Forthcoming Workshop: « Emerging pollutants: Key Issues and Challenges »
Organised by INERIS, JRC-IES, UK EA
19-20 June 2006 (Stresa, Italy)
3 additional thematic workshops during the course of the project
Newsletter (with review of scientific articles)
CMA workshop, Brussels 17 Nov 2005