Human Biomonitoring in Switzerland

In her Postulate of 20 March 2008, National Councillor Moser (Green Liberal, Canton Zurich) requested the Federal Council to consider the introduction of systematic analysis of various groups of chemicals (pesticides, PCBs, UV filters, etc.) to which the Swiss population is exposed. In its response of 6 June 2008, the Federal Council stated that it was prepared to investigate how existing research activities in specific areas could be coordinated and extended. The present report, prepared under the direction of the FOPH, incorporates comments from key actors in the field of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in Switzerland (Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Federal Office of the Agriculture (FOAG), Board of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Institute for Work and Health (IST), State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), SUVA and Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists (VKCS). It describes the HBM activities that already exist in Switzerland and sets out the goals that could be achieved via a national biomonitoring programme. The assessment of the current situation indicates that existing HBM activities do not provide a representative picture of the exposure of the Swiss population to chemical substances. It is therefore proposed that further support should be provided for HBM activities in Switzerland. In order to assess the feasibility of a national HBM programme in this country, Switzerland will be taking part in an EU pilot study (2010–2012). Based on this experience, a decision can then be taken concerning the implementation of a full-scale national HBM programme in Switzerland. At the same time, there is also a need to improve the coordination of existing HBM activities in Switzerland.