The UN says firefighting foam formerly used at Australian government sites is linked to serious disease.

The UN's Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to the Stockholm Convention says the chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are linked to six diseases, including some cancers.

The committee has urged a strong global response to toxic substances, which were used in firefighting foam at Queensland's Oakey Aviation Base, and Williamtown RAAF Base, in New South Wales.

The UN committee heard from Harvard University expert Philippe Grandjean, who described PFOA’s “very strong endocrine-disrupting properties”.

Professor Grandjean said PFOA interfered with lactation in women and made vaccines less effective for children exposed to PFOA via breastmilk.

But despite the committee’s ruling, the federal health department says it is not ready to change its advice that there is no substantial proof the chemicals carry significant human health risks.

“There is presently no consistent evidence that exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) causes adverse human health effects,” an official statement said.

“However, as a precaution, and whilst further studies are conducted, human exposure to these chemicals should continue to be minimised.”

Australia had a representative on the UN committee, but even so, the Federal Environment Department has confirmed it is not changing its stance until the chemical is officially listed in the Stockholm Convention treaty.

“Decisions by the Stockholm Convention's subsidiary body, the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC), are part of a four-stage process to consider a chemical under the Convention,” the department said in a statement.

“The fourth and final stage regarding listing of a chemical can only be undertaken by the convention's decision-making body, the Conference of the Parties.

“If PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds are listed, Australia would then need to undertake its domestic treaty-making process to ratify such listing.”