Envirisk (project)

ENVIRISK project addresses the development of a conceptual and methodological framework to highlight the cumulative effect environmental risks have on the population health. It emphasizes an integrated approach rather than the current sectoral process. In other words, health impact assessment should be based on integrating information on the health effects of a given plan, development or policy, by considering as many relevant pathways to health as possible.

The slogan of Envirisk is: Assessing the risks of environmental stressors: contribution to development of integrating methodology

The Envirisk is coordinated by NILU, the Norwegian Air Research Institute, and the homepage of the project can be found at http://envirisk.nilu.no/

Project Aims and Objectives

The aim of ENVIRISK is to develop an integrated methodological framework for identification of health risks caused by exposures to environmental factors, with a view to provide useful information for prevention and targeted policy measures. The framework will include the development and piloting of protocols and methodologies for exposure assessment and health impact assessment in specified areas relevant to the implementation of EU action plan on Environment and Health (EC EHAP).

The specific aims of ENVIRISK are to:

• Identify and assess the available monitoring data and exposure models for realistic exposure assessment, and to analyse methods and models for their use in the analysis of relationships between environment, exposure and health. This will be done mainly by own review with main focus on exposure assessment, combined with preliminary results of the INTARESE project, where such review is an early deliverable for environmental monitoring data, biomarkers and health surveillance.
• Develop protocols for exposure assessment and for assessment of exposure-health effect relationships, integrating the modelling of environmental releases, dispersion, human activity and physiology into an exposure modelling framework, and to provide interface between this exposure modelling framework and health effect modelling. This will be done by building upon the results of numerous exposure methodology development projects, including EXPOLIS, URBAN EXPOSURE, INTARESE, TEPLICE and PCBRISK, and other related projects, specifically using the TEPLICE and PCBRISK project results and databases as a pilot.
• Develop a framework for the assessment of relationships between exposure and health for selected pollutants including those that are subject to multimedia transport, to suggest protocols for such assessment and provide their economic appraisal.
• Pilot the exposure and risk modelling framework for three EC EHAP relevant indicators: exposure to atmospheric PAH, multimedia PCBs, dibenzofurans and dioxins, and atmospheric particulate matter and other irritants relevant to respiratory morbidity and mortality.
• Contribute to the EC Integrated Environment and Health Information System for Europe (EHIS) through development of a prototype tool for exposure assessment.

(source: Envirisk project homepage http://envirisk.nilu.no)