Centre of Excellence for Environmental Health Risk Analysis

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALT RISK ANALYSIS

Environmental health risk analysis forms the umbrella that covers most of the present research at KTL Department of Environmental Health. Our Centre of Excellence for Environmental Health Risk Analysis, nominated by Academy of Finland for years 2002-2007, is aimed at improving risk analysis methodology. It uses dioxins and urban air particles as two different examples of environmental pollution and challenges for risk assessment and management.

The data on dioxins comes mostly from experimental studies on animals, whereas most air pollution studies are epidemiological. Risk analysis methods are examined both in theory and real-life case studies in order to develop a more unified approach to risk analysis. We also need better modelling tools to deal with complex exposures and outcomes, and to incorporate risk tradeoffs, and uncertainties.

Environmental health risk analysis must be based on high quality multidisciplinary science. We focus on selected themes and study them from exposures to health effects. Therefore, the Centre of Excellence research is conducted in multicenter studies with the most capable domestic and foreign collaborators

Environmental Health Risk Analysis

Centre of Excellence for Environmental Health Risk Analysis forms the umbrella that covers most of the present research at KTL Department of Environmental Health. Our Centre of Excellence for Environmental Health Risk Analysis, nominated by Academy of Finland for years 2002-2007, is aimed at improving risk analysis methodology. It uses dioxins and urban air particles as two different examples of environmental pollution and challenges for risk assessment and management. The data on dioxins comes mostly from experimental studies on animals, whereas most air pollution studies are epidemiological. Risk analysis methods are examined both in theory and real-life case studies in order to develop a more unified approach to risk analysis. We also need better modelling tools to deal with complex exposures and outcomes, and to incorporate risk tradeoffs, and uncertainties. Environmental health risk analysis must be based on high quality multidisciplinary science. We focus on selected themes and study them from exposures to health effects. Therefore, the Centre of Excellence research is conducted in multicenter studies with the most capable domestic and foreign collaborators.

Research team at KTL

• Jouni Tuomisto, D.Med.Sc., docent
• Anna Karjalainen, D.Ph.; Virpi Kollanus, M.Sc.
• Olli Leino, M.Sc.
• Marjo Niittynen, M.Sc.
• Mikko Pohjola, M.Sc.
• Marko Tainio, M.Sc.
• Juha Villman, M.Sc.
• Erkki Kuusisto, PhD
• Matti Jantunen, D.Ph., Prof.
• Juha Pekkanen, D.Med.Sc., Prof.
• Raimo Salonen, D.Med.Sc., docent
• Jouko Tuomisto, D.Med.Sc, Prof.

International collaboration

• Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Boston, USA

Funding

• Academy of Finland
• National Public Health Institute, Finland
• TEKES, Finland

Contact person

• Jouni Tuomisto

Background

Environmental health risk analysis is fragmented. More coherence is needed in the weight given to diffenent kinds of scientific data and treatment of uncertainties. Decision situations should be taken into account more readily.

Objectives

The aim of the project is to improve risk analysis methodology using dioxins and urban air particles as two very different examples of environmental pollution and thus two different challenges for risk assessment and management.

Description

The data on dioxins comes mostly from experimental studies on animals, whereas most air pollution studies are observational human studies. The approaches and assumptions used in the risk assessments of these two pollutants are studied and compared. Risk analysis methods are examined both theoretically, as with extrapolation procedures, and with real-life case studies on decision situations where the potential health effects of these pollutants may have a significant role. We aim to develop a more unified approach to risk analysis. We need better modelling tools, which can deal with complex exposures and outcomes, risk tradeoffs, and also incorporate the assessment of uncertainties. This project is closely linked to research on exposures, mechanisms of action and health effects of dioxins and particulate air pollution in our institute.

Research projects

• Comparative Risk Analysis of Dioxins and Fine Particles (PMvsDioxin)
• Benefit-Risk Assessment for Food: an Iterative Value-of-Information Approach (Beneris)
• Intagrated assessment of health risks of environmental stressors in Europe

(Intarese)

• Probabilistic Characterization of Uncertainty in Mortality Response to Airborne Fine Particulate Matter (Expert Elicitation on PM)
• Health risks from nearby sources of fine particulate matter: domestic combustion and road traffic (PILTTI)
• Composite traffic project. Health, environmental, and other costs of urban car traffic and an alternative novel transport system based on demand-responsive public transportation. (Composite traffic, in finnish YHDISTELMÄLIIKENNE)
• Health Effects caused by Urban Air Pollution for the Transport System Plan Scenarios in Helsinki Area (HEAT)
• An integrated model for evaluating the emissions, atmospheric dispersion and risks caused by ambient air fine particulate matter (KOPRA)
• Health Effects Caused by Primary fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Emitted from Buses in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland (GASBUS)
• Risk benefit analysis of eating farmed salmon (Farmed Salmon)
• Comprehensive risk analysis of dioxins: development of methodology to assess genetic susceptibility to developmental disturbances and cancer (Dioxin risk assessment)

Personnel

• Jouni T. Tuomisto
• Anna Karjalainen
• Virpi Kollanus
• Erkki Kuusisto
• Olli Leino
• Marjo Niittynen
• Mikko Pohjola
• Marko Tainio
• Juha Villman

Files

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