Environmental health
Our mission is to follow-up, evaluate and disseminate knowledge, and to provide supervisory guidance on environmental health.
We provide knowledge support via collaboration, guidance, coordination, networks and publications. Our priority areas are:
- Equity in environmental health
- Using health as a driver for sustainable development
- Health in climate change and climate adaptation
- Health promotion and prevention in urban planning
- Cumulative risks of chemical exposures
We provide supervisory guidance in accordance with the Swedish environmental code to local and regional environmental health officers regarding primarily the indoor environment. The aim is to prevent environmental health risks in residential and public dwellings, and we do this by providing national guidelines and recommendations on noise, ventilation, dampness and mould, cleaning, hygiene, temperature and contamination via objects. We also provide support to local and regional environmental health officers and follow-up of supervision.
We monitor environmental health and factors affecting it
Every fourth year, we conduct a population-based survey, alternating between children and adults. The surveys provide data on a cross-section of exposure to environmental factors and self-reported health at a given time. The environmental factors include noise, air quality, green space, indoor environment, odour, temperature, chemical exposure, climate change, sun light, smoking and transportation.
The results of the survey are presented in national and regional reports. The data from the survey is made available online as tables, graphs and maps via Folkhälsodata (in Swedish) and FolkhälsoStudio (in Swedish) where it can be presented by age, gender, ethnic or cultural background and socioeconomic status.
- Folkhälsodata (fohm-app.folkhalsomyndigheten.se) (in Swedish)
- FolkhälsoStudio (external website) (in Swedish)
The Environmental Health Report is in Swedish with a summary in English.