• English
• Français
• Deutsch
• Pусский

Hazardous chemicals, naturally occurring or man-made, can reach our body through different routes (e.g., food, air, water) and cause a variety of health effects.

The number of existing chemicals and their compounds is very large, and for many of them the health risks are not known. Chemicals can be the result of anthropogenic sources or occur in nature. Hazardous chemicals can reach our body through different routes (e.g. food, air, water) and cause a variety of health effects.

Due to the many ways in which chemicals are used and released, the many exposure routes involved, and the different mixtures of chemicals present, the public health relevance of chemicals can be extremely difficult to assess. European Environment and Health Information System (ENHIS) indicators contribute to relate the exposure to hazardous chemicals to various policy measures that can be taken to reduce exposure or to prevent health effects.

For the definition and other details about each indicator, please read the metadata section within the assessment and read the information on indicator methodology.