Health and Environment Science Committee

The Health and Environment Science Committee (HESCom) works to advance knowledge and understanding of the potential risks of PGM to human health and the environment to support the risk assessment and safe use of PGM based on sound science.  HESCom comprises scientific experts from IPA member companies in disciplines including PGM chemistry, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Toxicology.  HESCom regularly supplements its expertise with that of external global experts in specific fields of relevance to its activities. 

HESCom has delivered a number of Environment- and Health-related projects. In particular, in relation to improving understanding of the risks of respiratory allergy in workers exposed to complex halogenated platinum salts (CHPS), and improving the ability to measure and control levels of these chemicals in the workplace.  Considerable effort has also been expended on advancing knowledge of the chemical speciation of platinum in the environment, through the development and application of state-of-the-art analytical chemistry techniques, which have demonstrated that levels of CHPS in the environment are extremely low.

The work of the Health and Environment Science Committee is led by different Technical Teams:

• Chemistry & Analytical
• Epidemiology and Health Surveillance
• Toxicology
• Workplace Exposure Characterisation and Control
• Communications