The Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report is published for staff in Public Health England, National Health Service, government departments and allied organisations, as well as first line responders such as fire and ambulance services. It is also useful to students and members of the public with an interest in environmental public health.

Reader survey results

We recently asked our readers to tell us what they think about the report. Readers were very positive; 95% rated it 'excellent' or 'good', with articles on chemical incident response and new guidance for professionals the most popular. For full analysis of the results and how we're taking suggestions forward, see issue 20. If you have any comments on the report, please email chapreport@phe.gov.uk.  

About the report

PHE recognises the need for training in how to respond to chemical incidents and the report, which is published two-three times a year, performs an important role in sharing high quality advice and new research with professional colleagues. Articles cover a variety of disciplines including:

• risk assessment and incident management
• emergency preparedness and planning
• public health and epidemiology
• environmental science
• toxicology
• natural disasters and climate change
• psychology
• environmental and public health policy. 

The Chemical Hazards and Poisons Reports (2003-present) were preceded by the Chemical Incident Reports (1999-2003), which contain useful articles of a similar nature, and are also available below.

Article index

Download a fully searchable index of current and previous Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report articles, plus the Chemical Incident Reports (issues 12-28) here:
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report Index (Excel Spreadsheet, 651 KB)

Subscribe

To receive electronic versions of the Chemical Hazards and Poisons Reports when they are published, please email chapreport@phe.gov.uk

• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 22
  March 2013 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue includes public health discussion of carbon monoxide, air quality improvement options, extreme weather and the HPA response to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  Added/updated: 5 April 2013
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 21
  June 2012 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue includes public health discussion of air quality in major incidents and tyre fires, World War 2 chemicals, chemical fatalities, recovery options and cold weather planning.
  Added/updated: 8 June 2012
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 20
  September 2011 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue includes a review of the health impact of air pollution, landfills, kerosene spills and cold weather.
  Added/updated: 8 June 2012
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 19
  April 2011 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the impact of tobacco water pipes, refrigerator leaks, lead in the food chain and pre-hospital incident communication.
  Added/updated: 5 May 2011
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 18
  October 2010 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue introduces the multi-agency Air Quality Cell and its use in large fires, and the public health importance of lead and healthy homes.
  Added/updated: 26 October 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 17
  June 2010 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue of the Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report provides papers on four different types of chemical incidents.
  Added/updated: 16 June 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 16
  January 2010 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers COMAH sites, fly tipping, odours, healthy housing, climate change and heatwaves.
  Added/updated: 30 June 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 15
  September 2009 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers decontamination and CBRNe incidents, and the potential health impact of importation of materials, noise, climate change and natural hazards, and drinking water contamination.
  Added/updated: 19 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 14
  April 2009 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of maritime chemical incidents, a compost fire, nickel in drinking water and incidents in schools and hospitals.
  Added/updated: 19 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 13
  September 2008 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of tyre fires, odour incidents, carbon monoxide, waste management, natural disasters and climate change.
  Added/updated: 19 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 12
  May 2008 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of oak processionary moths, carbon monoxide, herbal medicines, flooding, air pollution and climate change.
  Added/updated: 19 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 11
  January 2008 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of cyanide, lead, flooding, chemical incidents in hospitals and mass decontamination.
  Added/updated: 19 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 10
  September 2007 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of a fire at a fireworks warehouse, flooding, contaminated land, odours, carbon monoxide and WWII incendiary devices.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 9
  May 2007 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers handling contaminated fatalities, decontamination, incident management, the London Early Alerting System, Strategic Environmental Assessment and the National Heatwave Plan.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 8
  November 2006 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of carbon monoxide, lead, binge drinking and methaemoglobinaemia. GIS and risk communication are discussed.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 7
  June 2006 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of the Buncefield fire, the London bombings, industrial fires and asbestos.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 6
  February 2006 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of fires, odours, unprotected UV light, sulphuric acid, natural disasters and the 2004 tsunami.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 5
  September 2005 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of mercury, fires, strychnine and white powder.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 4
  May 2005 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of floods, building collapse, heatwaves, fires, contaminated fatalities and contaminated land.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 3
  January 2005 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of water contamination, scrombotoxin, asbestos and organochlorine pesticides.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 2
  September 2004 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the issues with chemical incidents in Emergency Departments, contaminated land, carbon monoxide and ammonia fumes and Integrated Pollution Prevention Control.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report - Issue 1
  December 2003 report from the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This first issue introduces the work of the Division, covering incident management and investigation and developments in emergency preparedness.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 28
  April 2003 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of deliberate release, chemical incidents in hospitals, landfills and emergency planning.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 27
  January 2003 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of lead, phosphine, fires and incidents in hospitals.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 26
  October 2002 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of fires, mercury, land contamination and contaminated private drinking water supplies.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 25
  July 2002 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of industrial fires, terror attacks and dioxins in food.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 24
  April 2002 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of non-domestic fires, asbestos, chronic incidents and odours, and air accidents.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 23
  January 2002 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of dioxins in floodwater, explosions, plastic fires, asbestos, lead and mass burial of animal carcasses.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 22
  October 2001 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the how to respond to mass chemically-contaminated casualties, deliberate release and white powder events. Firework and water incidents are also described.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 21
  July 2001 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers chemical contamination of food, pollution regulations and incident surveillance and communication.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 20
  April 2001 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue offers advice on disease cluster investigations, IPPC legislation, and the public health impact of petrol spillages.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 19
  January 2001 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue contains chemical incident surveillance data for 2000, and discusses Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control and other relevant legislation.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 18
  October 2000 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the psychological impact of chemical incidents, and discusses the value of Geographical Information Systems and decontamination.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 17
  July 2000 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue discusses key areas including sheltering vs evacuation during incidents, COMAH and human rights, major incident planning and incinerators.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 16
  April 2000 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers chemical incidents in schools, water contamination, the benefits of health surveillance and working with Environmental Health Departments.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 15
  January 2000 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of petroleum incidents. Chemical incident surveillance and Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control are discussed.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 14
  October 1999 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of land contamination, chemical terrorism and sarin.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 13
  July 1999 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers the public health impact of fires, chemical incidents in hospital emergency departments, and chemical contamination of food and drink.
  Added/updated: 23 August 2010
  
• Chemical Incident Report - Issue 12
  April 1999 report from the predecessor to the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This issue covers foam parties, air, water and land contamination, and psychological effects of chemical incidents.
  Added/updated: 20 August 2010