Human milk survey

Sustainable, harmonized and comparable human bio-monitoring activities have been put in place through collaboration between the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) Chemicals Branch and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first phase of the human milk survey has been completed in 2012, and the results obtained have been compiled and published in the report ʺHuman exposure to POPs across the globe: POPs levels and human health implications ʺ, issued jointly by UNEP and WHO.

As of 2013, the second phase of the human milk survey has been initiated by the Secretariat, UNEP and WHO, with similar arrangements as in the first phase to enable detection of changes over time in POPs concentrations in human milk. Countries are invited to express their interest to participate in the second phase survey.

More information on human milk monitoring under the global monitoring plan is available in the guidance document.