Standard Operating Procedure for POP Sampling in Breast Milk

Standard Operating Procedure for
POP Sampling in Breast Milk
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2. Documents of reference
Guide for the development of a national protocol, for the Fourth Study on Persistent Organic
Pollutants in Breast Milk, coordinated by WHO in collaboration with the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP), (Revised on October 1 2007).
3. Objectives
Provide information on the impact of POPs on health by:
Expanding and strengthening the studies of WHO’s Global Environment Monitoring System
(GEMS) on human exposure to all the POPs included in the Stockholm Convention;
Providing data on human exposure to POPs to all the health, environment, agriculture and
fishery sectors, so they can use them when assessing and managing risk;
Identifying needs for future studies, including prospective epidemiological studies.
Provide accessible, reliable and comparable data on the POP levels in breast milk for the
purposes of the Stockholm Convention:
Assist in the development and review of the National Implementation Plan in accordance with
Article 7 of this Convention;
Contribute to the Effectiveness Evaluation of the Stockholm Convention in relation with the
reduction and elimination of POP releases into the environment, as required in Article 16;
Approach relevant measures of Article 11 of the Convention with regard investigation and
monitoring of POPs.
4. Scope
This procedure shall apply to the sampling of breast milk in all the countries that participate in
the GEF Project.