Connecting Science to Policy
Our science-based exposure studies documenting emerging chemicals of concern have informed decision making and supported health-protective policies locally, nationally, and internationally.
Carrying out studies that tested fire station living quarter dust, firefighting foam, and gear has provided the San Francisco Firefighter Cancer Prevention Foundation with information about toxic chemical exposures on the fire ground and fire station that may be linked to elevated levels of some cancers among firefighters.
Standing (rear) is Tony Stefani, ED of the SFFCPF, and Sharyle Patton (front), who in March 2019, received the White Helmet Award for her work with SFFCPF
SAICM - United Nations Strategic Approach to the Sound Management of Chemicals
Pat Morrison (standing) - Assistant to the General President for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine - International Association of Fire Fighters
Mick Tisbury (seated) - Commander, Melbourne Fire Brigade, United Firefighters Union of Australia
Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center (CBRC) works internationally by participating in discussions that address chemical regulation and management.
SAICM is intended to be a policy framework to promote chemical safety around the world. Its mandate states that, “The consumption of chemicals by all industries and modern society’s reliance on chemicals for virtually all manufacturing processes make chemicals production one of the major and most globalized sectors of the world economy. Acknowledgement of the essential economic role of chemicals and their contribution to improved living standards needs to be balanced with recognition of potential costs. These include the chemical industry’s heavy use of water and energy and the potential adverse impacts of chemicals on the environment and human health. The diversity and potential severity of such impacts makes sound chemicals management a key cross-cutting issue for sustainable development. “
Patton is participating in virtual working groups (VWGs) charged with developing proposals that address governance and mechanisms needed to support implementation of final SAICM agreements. The outcomes of the VWGs will be presented for discussion during the next intersessional process meeting in mid-summer 2021.
IPEN Ethiopian Group
Patton was one of the founding members of the International Pollution Elimination Network, (IPEN) which played a definitive role in the creation of the Stockholm Convention. This Convention is a legally binding treaty that regulates or bans a set of toxic chemicals on a global basis. Patton remains on the IPEN Steering Committee and is active in the UN POPRC (Persistent Organic Review Committee) which identifies chemicals that may qualify for inclusion in the list of chemicals regulated under the mandates of the Convention. Two of the PFAS chemicals were recently added to that list, with full support from firefighter associations in Australia and the United States.