Body Burden

"Body burden" testing documents the presence in human bodies of hazardous chemicals covered by the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, including persistent organic pollutants, pesticides and heavy metals. 

Communicating the concept of body burden raises awareness of the omnipresence of chemicals in our environment and that all people are exposed to detectable levels of hazardous chemicals. 

The global monitoring plan for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) provides a harmonized framework for the collection of comparable monitoring data on the presence of POPs from all regions, in order to identify changes in levels over time, as well as provides information on their regional and global transport through the environment. It is an important component for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention.

The Body Burden Forum seeks to raise awareness of the presence of POPs and other potentially harmful substances in the human body, to stimulate support for measures to reduce our exposure to hazardous chemicals and wastes.

Body Burden Forum

The Safe Planet Campaign Body Burden Forum, was held in New York at the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in May 2011. Norwegian professional golf champion Suzann Pettersen underwent a biomonitoring test before she was introduced at the Safe Planet Forum by campaign co-chair Stine Hattestad Bratsberg.

Body Burden Forum photo gallery

Body Burden at the Triple Anniversary Festival in the Park (2012 World Environment Day video)

Body Burden poster series (downloadable in English, French and Spanish)