Guidance on the human health impact of industrially contaminated sites COST Action Industrially Contaminated Sites and Health Network ICSHNet Joint COST Action and WHO Report

Industrially contaminated sites represent a major environmental health issue, as they embrace exposure to many environmental hazardous pollutants from multiple sources affecting air, water, soil and food chain. COST Action on Industrially Contaminated Sites and Health Network (ICSHNet) since 2015 has been greatly contributing to consolidate the awareness and policy profile of contaminates sites towards the implementation of the World Health Organization European Environment and Health Process commitments and transition to the Sustainable Development Goals framework. Aiming to share and improve understanding of these experiences, available evidence and policy needs, the ICSHNet COST Action and WHO jointly produced this guidance document. This guidance document aims to provide practical guidance to the environment and health sector on how to understand and report on the human health impacts of industrially contaminated sites. This document also synthesises the significant efforts of researchers and practitioners from different fields and provides a common framework for research and response. The main audience for this document are professionals working in public health and environment agencies and institutions. Other audiences include policy makers, business and civil society organisations. This document is structured in four parts: about the human health impacts of industrially contaminated sites; what do we know; best practice methods and approaches; and tools for responding to human health concerns on industrially contaminated sites.