Chemicals, Environment, Health: A Global Management Perspective

The past 40 years have seen a phenomenal growth in globally oriented public and private initiatives related to chemical and environmental issues. The groundbreaking 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm was the event responsible for initiating framework for global environmental policies, including those addressing chemical safety. It gave rise to the first World Environment Day and the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme, leading the way to the acknowledgement that sustainable development is the most logical and viable pathway to preserve and enhance our environment for future generations.

Chemicals, Environment, Health: A Global Management Perspective presents an overview of the noteworthy conferences, organizations, and international treaties that focus on chemicals management and policy. It takes into account special challenges faced by developing countries regarding chemicals safety. From the Stockholm Conference to follow-ups in Rio and Johannesburg, it provides concise coverage of a vast swath of information. It highlights pivotal agreements such as the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, the more expansive Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, as well as key regional agreements such as the European Union’s REACH legislation. The book includes invited essays in areas such as emergencies and financing instruments, and offers a clear look at future challenges and opportunities.

Written by a team of authors from all continents, with backgrounds in international organizations, national governments, academia, industry, and NGOs, the book reflects a wide experience from a multitude of perspectives.

A valuable guidebook to global chemicals management cooperation, this book reviews and analyzes multi-lateral efforts established to address the potential risks of chemicals on the world stage.

Philip Wexler is a Technical Information Specialist at the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program. He is the federal liaison for the Toxicology Education Foundation and the World Library of Toxicology. He coordinates and manages NLM’s risk assessment information databases and online tools on the TOXNET system, and is project manager of the LactMed file on drugs and lactation. He is team leader for the development of the ToxLearn online tutorials, a joint activity with the U.S. Society of Toxicology (SOT). Formerly chair, for two years, of US Society of Toxicology’s (SOT) World Wide Web Advisory Team, he is President of the Society’s Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Specialty Section. Mr. Wexler has co-organized the Toxicology History Room for a variety of professional meetings. He was a member of the Education and Communications Work Group of the CDC/ATSDR’s National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposure project. Mr. Wexler has published numerous papers on toxicology information and has lectured and taught widely on the subject in the U.S. and abroad. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Toxicology, Second edition, 2005, with a third edition in progress, and Information Resources in Toxicology, 4th edition, 2009), both published by Elsevier Science. He is currently working on a major review article on toxicology informatics, for Critical Reviews in Toxicology. He is the recipient of the SOT’s 2010 Public Communications Award.

Jan van der Kolk (The Netherlands, 1945) has a background in chemistry and microbiology. He served as deputy director of Environmental Health in the Ministry of Environment of The Netherlands until 2005. Since, he has been working as an independent expert, under the company name Eco Conseil, mainly in the field of implementing International Environmental Agreements, mostly in countries in Africa, A