Key messages

• The project will provide valuable EU-specific data on chemical exposures and risks faced by workers in e-waste and plastics waste streams.
• It will generate evidence to support policies aimed at worker protection, public health, chemical safety, and environmental sustainability.
• By fostering training and knowledge exchange, the project will strengthen collaboration and enhance the capabilities of EU laboratories and research centres.

Overview

In 2020, the European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan ↗, acting as one of the main building blocks of the implementation of the European Green Deal ↗, Europe's agenda for sustainable growth. Taking the entire life cycle of products into account, this action plan targets how products are designed, consumed and dealt with in the waste stream. With an adoption, the EU aims to make its economy fit for a green future, strengthen competitiveness while protecting the environment and provide new rights to consumers. The waste management sector is expected to play an important role in this development.  

This project focuses on two key waste streams, electronic waste ↗ and plastics ↗ coming from both private households and the industry. Through collaborative discussions among relevant stakeholders, mainly companies, associations, and workers representatives within the waste management sector, this project will identify significant waste streams that are becoming more relevant due to the expected increase in recycling and therefore also to the labour force needed in this sector.  

• This cross-sectional study, which involves 18 partners, aims to:
• Provide data on waste management workers’ exposure to various substances, through both environmental and biological monitoring.
• Assess the effectiveness of existing European regulations in minimising the presence of harmful substance within the circular economy ↗, thereby reducing exposure for workers and the general population.
• Translate the findings from occupational studies into a framework that outlines implications for general population exposure.

Results of this study will carry valuable information across various regulatory frameworks like the multi-annual strategies on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH ↗) and the EU regulation evolving around the production and use of chemical substances, such as the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH ↗). Additionally, regulations related to waste management, water and soil protection as well as standards for food and consumer products, will also benefit from this study’s findings.

Achievements & Results

In the first year of the project, foundational steps were completed, including finalising the list of chemicals and exposure biomarkers, defining study protocols and detailed standard operating procedures, and identifying participating companies. The protocols made in the scope of the human biomonitoring project HBM4EU ↗ were adapted to include new biomarkers.  

In the second year, study protocols were submitted to ethical committees, a data management plan was developed, and online training was conducted to support partners in implementing procedures. Biomonitoring and environmental monitoring campaigns began, with institutions from across Europe participating.  

By the third year, sampling campaigns began in many EU member countries after receiving ethical approvals. Key achievements include defining biomarkers for each waste stream, adapting protocols to include new biomarkers and matrices, and creating training materials for field teams. Many partners have started sampling activities, advancing the assessment of chemical exposures in waste management sectors.

Policy relevance

The project will provide exposure data to support regulatory processes under OSH standards as well as under the REACH, addressing the production and use of chemical substances, and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.