Transcript JRC contributions to the implementation of the Action Plan

Joint Research Centre:
Contributions to the implementation of the
E&H Action Plan in FP7
http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int
The JRC today... and tomorrow:
its mission.
… to provide customer-driven scientific
and technical support for the conception,
development, implementation and
monitoring of EU policies …
…the JRC functions as a centre of science and
technology reference for the EU, independent of
private and national interests...
2
E&H in the text of the 7th FP
For the first time,
in the legal text of the
7th Framework Programme,
the JRC is requested
to provide support to …
…the implementation
of the European Environment & Health Action Plan.
3
The JRC non-nuclear Specific Programme
Policy Theme 1 - Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Competitiveness and innovation
European Research Area
Energy and Transport
Knowledge Society
Policy Theme 2 - Solidarity & the responsible management of resources
2.1
2.2
Rural Development, Agriculture & Fisheries
Natural Resources
2.3
2.4
Environment and Health
Climate Change
Policy Theme 3 - Security & Freedom
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Internal Security
Disasters and Response
Food and Feed Safety
Biotechnology
Policy Theme 4 Europe as a world partner
4.1
4.2
Global security
Development cooperation
4
2. Solidarity and the responsible
Management of resources
Agenda 2.1: Rural development, agriculture and fisheries
Agenda 2.2: Natural resources
Agenda 2.3: Environment & health
Agenda 2.4: Climate change
5
Agenda 2.3: Environment & health
The JRC E&H agenda will grow significantly during the 7th FP as focus shifts
from thematic analyses to a more integrated assessment of environmental
impacts. This work will be done in partnership with the EEA.
The JRC will contribute with:
• Research on exposure to a range of environmental agents
• Research into novel methodologies for assessing the effect of
stressors on health
• Setting up foundations of a Community Integrated Information System
at the core of the E&H policy
6
Current examples of JRC expertise in
E&H
7
Air pollution
Tackling outdoor air pollution
The JRC contributes to the in-depth understanding of outdoor air pollution and the
chemical/physical processes which determine the health impact of pollutants by harmonising
assessment strategies, organising ad- hoc measurement campaigns, using dispersion
models and assessing the impact of air pollutants on human health (PEOPLE, APHEIS).
Fusion of satellite data with measurements and models to tackle the spatial dimension.
Human Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution
Study on human exposure to indoor pollution: analysis of indoor environment threats to
health (INDEX, AIRMEX, NOMIRACLE) and the impact of air exchange rates on the levels of
environmental tobacco smoke components
8
Prevention of disasters
Prevention of natural and man-made disasters
World-wide partnership of over 30 research organisations,co-ordinated by JRC to help forecast
and prevent natural and man-made disasters, and study ecosystems, biodiversity, climate
change and weather forecasting.
9
Example:
Weather driven natural hazards: Floods
Meteo
data
Reading…
LISFLOOD
JRC European Data
-Soil, Surface,
river catchments
Flood
simulation &
forecasting
River basin
management
system, …
Member States data
Land
remediation
-River
dimensions,
* Two early flood warnings in 2005: Northern
England & Scotland, Rhine tributaries (4 days +)
Alert levels
…
10
Exposure
Human exposure assessment toolbox
The JRC is developing, in co-operation with the “EU Exposure Assessment Network”,
methodologies to enable harmonised exposure assessment procedures in the EU. The
European Assessment Toolbox will support the development of a structured stakeholder
dialogue, initially in the frame of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) (2001/95/EC)
and progressively in the frame of the New Chemicals Policy (REACH).
Methods to determine inhalation, dermal and oral exposure
A key focus of the JRC is to improve our understanding of release and migration
mechanisms from consumer products and the quality of chemical-specific data used in
exposure assessment. This is complemented by toxicogenomic assessments of human
exposure to chemicals and contributions to the setting of indoor exposure limits.
11
European
exposure
assessment
tool box
12
Chemical risk assessment
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR)
The JRC is working to ensure that reliable QSARs are available for use by industry and
regulatory bodies in accordance with the needs of the future chemicals legislation and the
Cosmetics Directive.
Chemical risk assessment (ECB, REACH)
The JRC acts as a focal point for classification, labelling, notification, the hazard assessment
and risk assessment process of new and existing substances and the evaluation of biocidal
substances in collaboration with the Member States.
13
Physical factors
Exposure to physical environmental
factors
The JRC uses UV climatology for population
exposure estimation, and has developed a human
exposure model (personal exposure). It operates the
European Reference Centre for UV Radiation
Measurements in collaboration with the Word Radiation
Centre at Davos (PMOD/WRC).
It contributes to the harmonisation of methods and
models for mapping the spatial distribution of noise
and is developing the "European Information System on
Electromagnetic Fields (EIS-EMF)"
14
Contaminants in food and water
Contaminants and Persistent Organic Contaminants in Food
The JRC is studying the feasibility of using methods based on real-time PCR to detect
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food and is investigating the possibility to use an alternative
extraction procedure for the analysis of persistent organic compounds in food matrices.
Microbiological Hazards in Water
The JRC is developing and harmonising methodologies (in particular molecular-based) for the
rapid detection of pathogens and microbiological hazards in drinking and surface water. It is
also studying the role of materials in contact with drinking water in the occurrence and growth of
biofilms and associated pathogens.
Fate and effects of contaminants in water and soils
The JRC contributes to the development of measurements of trace metals in drinking and
surface waters as well as in soils at high sensitivity and ultra low detection limits. It also
participates in field campaigns.
15
Community Reference Laboratory on Feed
Additives Authorisation
Work is carried out in close collaboration with EFSA and DG SANCO
Assisted by a network of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs)
CRL is responsible for
•
Reception and storage of reference samples
•
Evaluation of test methods given by feed additive
producers (applicants for authorisation)
•
Submission of evaluation report to EFSA
16
Health effects
Metabonomics for biomonitoring and to investigate health effects
The JRC uses NMR techniques to analyse biological fluids to obtain a direct picture of the total
metabolic expression (biochemical endpoints) in a holistic and quantitative way.
Example: CARDIUM project
Environment burden of disease analysis
Methodology for decision support in E&H – development of a European consensus model
17
Cardiovascular disease diagnosis using
metabonomics screening by NMR
Normal coronary
arteries
Severe
atherosclerosis
J.K. Nicholson et al. Nature Medicine, vol. 8 (12), 2002.
18