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Rigaud M, Buekers J, Bessems J, Basagaña X, Mathy S, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Slama R. The methodology of quantitative risk assessment studies. Environ Health 2024; 23:13. [PMID: 38281011 PMCID: PMC10821313 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01039-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Once an external factor has been deemed likely to influence human health and a dose response function is available, an assessment of its health impact or that of policies aimed at influencing this and possibly other factors in a specific population can be obtained through a quantitative risk assessment, or health impact assessment (HIA) study. The health impact is usually expressed as a number of disease cases or disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to or expected from the exposure or policy. We review the methodology of quantitative risk assessment studies based on human data. The main steps of such studies include definition of counterfactual scenarios related to the exposure or policy, exposure(s) assessment, quantification of risks (usually relying on literature-based dose response functions), possibly economic assessment, followed by uncertainty analyses. We discuss issues and make recommendations relative to the accuracy and geographic scale at which factors are assessed, which can strongly influence the study results. If several factors are considered simultaneously, then correlation, mutual influences and possibly synergy between them should be taken into account. Gaps or issues in the methodology of quantitative risk assessment studies include 1) proposing a formal approach to the quantitative handling of the level of evidence regarding each exposure-health pair (essential to consider emerging factors); 2) contrasting risk assessment based on human dose-response functions with that relying on toxicological data; 3) clarification of terminology of health impact assessment and human-based risk assessment studies, which are actually very similar, and 4) other technical issues related to the simultaneous consideration of several factors, in particular when they are causally linked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Rigaud
- Inserm, University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IAB, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Grenoble, France
| | - Jurgen Buekers
- VITO, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Health, Mol, Belgium
| | - Jos Bessems
- VITO, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Health, Mol, Belgium
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Sandrine Mathy
- CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, INRAe, Grenoble INP, GAEL, Grenoble, France
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Rémy Slama
- Inserm, University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IAB, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Grenoble, France.
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Luijten M, Vlaanderen J, Kortenkamp A, Antignac JP, Barouki R, Bil W, van den Brand A, den Braver-Sewradj S, van Klaveren J, Mengelers M, Ottenbros I, Rantakokko P, Kolossa-Gehring M, Lebret E. Mixture risk assessment and human biomonitoring: Lessons learnt from HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 249:114135. [PMID: 36758443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Unintentional chemical mixtures that are present in the environment are of societal concern as the (environmental) chemicals contained therein, either singly or in combination, may possess properties that are hazardous (toxic) for human health. The current regulatory practice, however, is still largely based on evaluating single chemical substances one-by-one. Over the years various research efforts have delivered tools and approaches for risk assessment of chemical mixtures, but many of these were not considered sufficiently mature for regulatory implementation. This is (partly) due to mixture risk assessment (MRA) being very complex because of the large number of chemicals present in the environment. A key element in risk assessment is information on actual exposures in the population of interest. To date, information on actual personal (internal) mixture exposures is largely absent, severely limiting MRA. The use of human biomonitoring data may improve this situation. Therefore, we investigated within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) various approaches to assess combined exposures and MRA. Based on the insights and lessons learnt in the context of the HBM4EU project, conclusions as well as recommendations for policy development regarding chemical mixtures and for further research were drafted. These conclusions and recommendations relate to both exposure and adverse health effects in humans. The recommendations were discussed with stakeholders in a workshop held in October 2021. There was considerable support and agreement with the spirit, scope and intention of the draft recommendations. Here we describe the lessons learnt on mixture risk assessment through the HBM4EU project and present the final recommendations. Overall, HBM4EU results demonstrated the potential of human biomonitoring as an instrument to obtain insight into the real-life mixtures the human population is exposed to. Also, HBM4EU results demonstrated that chemical mixtures are of public health concern. In the majority of the cases, it was possible to identify risk drivers, i.e. chemicals that contribute more strongly than others to the health risk. The novel approaches to identify co-occurrence patterns demonstrated clusters of co-occurring chemicals; chemicals in these mixture clusters are regulated independently under different legislative frameworks. Moreover, HBM4EU data and expertise can support a science-based derivation of a Mixture Assessment Factor and gauge potential impacts on the population's exposure to chemicals. While further expansion is needed on various aspects of the mixture activities carried out in the context of HBM4EU, application of available methodologies for mixture risk assessment should already be implemented to the degree possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Luijten
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Jelle Vlaanderen
- Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | | | | | - Wieneke Bil
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Annick van den Brand
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jacob van Klaveren
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Mengelers
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Ilse Ottenbros
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Panu Rantakokko
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Erik Lebret
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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3
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Neo EX, Hasikin K, Mokhtar MI, Lai KW, Azizan MM, Razak SA, Hizaddin HF. Towards Integrated Air Pollution Monitoring and Health Impact Assessment Using Federated Learning: A Systematic Review. Front Public Health 2022; 10:851553. [PMID: 35664109 PMCID: PMC9160600 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.851553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental issues such as environmental pollutions and climate change are the impacts of globalization and become debatable issues among academics and industry key players. One of the environmental issues which is air pollution has been catching attention among industrialists, researchers, and communities around the world. However, it has always neglected until the impacts on human health become worse, and at times, irreversible. Human exposure to air pollutant such as particulate matters, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide contributed to adverse health hazards which result in respiratory diseases, cardiorespiratory diseases, cancers, and worst, can lead to death. This has led to a spike increase of hospitalization and emergency department visits especially at areas with worse pollution cases that seriously impacting human life and health. To address this alarming issue, a predictive model of air pollution is crucial in assessing the impacts of health due to air pollution. It is also critical in predicting the air quality index when assessing the risk contributed by air pollutant exposure. Hence, this systemic review explores the existing studies on anticipating air quality impact to human health using the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). From the extensive review, we highlighted research gaps in this field that are worth to inquire. Our study proposes to develop an AI-based integrated environmental and health impact assessment system using federated learning. This is specifically aims to identify the association of health impact and pollution based on socio-economic activities and predict the Air Quality Index (AQI) for impact assessment. The output of the system will be utilized for hospitals and healthcare services management and planning. The proposed solution is expected to accommodate the needs of the critical and prioritization of sensitive group of publics during pollution seasons. Our finding will bring positive impacts to the society in terms of improved healthcare services quality, environmental and health sustainability. The findings are beneficial to local authorities either in healthcare or environmental monitoring institutions especially in the developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- En Xin Neo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Khairunnisa Hasikin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Center of Image and Signal Processing (CISIP), Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Istajib Mokhtar
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Khin Wee Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Mokhzaini Azizan
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia
| | - Sarah Abdul Razak
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hanee Farzana Hizaddin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Lagunas‐Rangel FA, Linnea‐Niemi JV, Kudłak B, Williams MJ, Jönsson J, Schiöth HB. Role of the Synergistic Interactions of Environmental Pollutants in the Development of Cancer. GEOHEALTH 2022; 6:e2021GH000552. [PMID: 35493962 PMCID: PMC9036628 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing awareness that the large number of environmental pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis are causing major health problems. Compared to traditional studies that focus on individual pollutants, there are relatively few studies on how pollutants mixtures interact. Several studies have reported a relationship between environmental pollutants and the development of cancer, even when pollutant levels are below toxicity reference values. The possibility of synergistic interactions between different pollutants could explain how even low concentrations can cause major health problems. These intricate that molecular interactions can occur through a wide variety of mechanisms, and our understanding of the physiological effects of mixtures is still limited. The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent reports that address possible synergistic interactions between different types of environmental pollutants that could promote cancer development. Our literature studies suggest that key biological pathways are frequently implicated in such processes. These include increased production of reactive oxygen species, activation by cytochrome P450, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling, among others. We discuss the need to understand individual pathological vulnerability not only in relation to basic genetics and gene expression, but also in terms of measurable exposure to contaminants. We also mention the need for significant improvements in future studies using a multitude of disciplines, such as the development of high-throughput study models, better tools for quantifying pollutants in cancer patients, innovative pharmacological and toxicological studies, and high-efficiency computer analysis, which allow us to analyze the molecular mechanisms of mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenni Viivi Linnea‐Niemi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Błażej Kudłak
- Faculty of ChemistryDepartment of Analytical ChemistryGdańsk University of TechnologyGdańskPoland
| | - Michael J. Williams
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Jörgen Jönsson
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Institute of Translational Medicine and BiotechnologyI. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical UniversityMoscowRussia
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Petit P, Maître A, Bicout DJ. A consensus approach for estimating health risk: Application to inhalation cancer risks. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110436. [PMID: 33166535 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Conducting a risk assessment is challenging because various and contrasting risk indicators are available, which can lead to discrepancies and, sometimes, conflicting conclusions. Constructing and using a consensus risk indicator (CRI) could provide a reliable alternative that is consistent and supports direct comparisons. The goal of this study is to propose a structured and pragmatic approach for constructing a CRI distribution and demonstrate its feasibility and easy implementation when conducting risk assessments. A CRI distribution is constructed as a weighted combination of existing indicators where the weights are obtained by using the overlapping areas of an individual indicator's distribution and an aggregated reference distribution. The approach is illustrated through an assessment of human cancer risk following inhalation exposure. The CRI is constructed using eight risk indicators. The CRI distribution parameters for 199 human carcinogenic chemicals associated with inhalation exposure were determined and are presented in an interactive table. To aid the wider implementation of the CRI approach, a user-friendly and interactive web application, named InCaRisk, was created to facilitate the cancer risk estimation following inhalation exposure. Our approach could be useful for enhancing the quality of regulatory decisions and protecting human health from environmental pollutants; our approach can be applied for a given health outcome, route of exposure and exposure setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Petit
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG (UMR 5525 CNRS - UGA), EPSP Team (Environment and Health Prediction of Populations), F-38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Anne Maître
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG (UMR 5525 CNRS - UGA), EPSP Team (Environment and Health Prediction of Populations), F-38000, Grenoble, France; Grenoble Alpes Teaching Hospital, Occupational and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Environmental Toxicology Department, Biology and Pathology Institute, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Dominique J Bicout
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG (UMR 5525 CNRS - UGA), EPSP Team (Environment and Health Prediction of Populations), F-38000, Grenoble, France; Biomathematics and Epidemiology EPSP-TIMC, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, Marcy L'Etoile, France; Laue - Langevin Institute, Theory Group, Grenoble, France.
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6
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Hsieh NH, Chen Z, Rusyn I, Chiu WA. Risk Characterization and Probabilistic Concentration-Response Modeling of Complex Environmental Mixtures Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Data from Organotypic in Vitro Human Stem Cell Assays. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:17004. [PMID: 33395322 PMCID: PMC7781439 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk assessment of chemical mixtures or complex substances remains a major methodological challenge due to lack of available hazard or exposure data. Therefore, risk assessors usually infer hazard or risk from data on the subset of constituents with available toxicity values. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the validity of the widely used traditional mixtures risk assessment paradigms, Independent Action (IA) and Concentration Addition (CA), with new approach methodologies (NAMs) data from human cell-based in vitro assays. METHODS A diverse set of 42 chemicals was tested both individually and as mixtures for functional and cytotoxic effects in vitro. A panel of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs)-derived models (hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, endothelial, and neurons) and one primary cell type (HUVEC) were used. Bayesian concentration-response modeling of individual chemicals or their mixtures was performed for a total of 47 phenotypes to derive point-of-departure (POD) values. Probabilistic IA or CA was conducted to estimate the mixture effects based on the bioactivity profiles from the individual chemicals and compared with mixture bioactivity. RESULTS All mixtures showed significant bioactivity, even though some were constructed using individual chemical concentrations considered "low" or "safe." Even though CA is much more accurate as a predictor of mixture effects in comparison with IA, with CA-based POD typically within an order of magnitude of the actual mixture, in some cases, the bioactivity of the mixtures appeared to be much greater than that of their components under either additivity assumption. DISCUSSION These results suggest that CA is a preferred first approximation for predicting mixture toxicity when data for all constituents are available. However, because the accuracy of additivity assumptions varies greatly across phenotypes, we posit that mixtures and complex substances need to be directly tested for their hazard potential. NAMs provide a practical solution that rapidly yields highly informative data for mixtures risk assessment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7600.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan-Hung Hsieh
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Zunwei Chen
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Weihsueh A. Chiu
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Drakvik E, Altenburger R, Aoki Y, Backhaus T, Bahadori T, Barouki R, Brack W, Cronin MTD, Demeneix B, Hougaard Bennekou S, van Klaveren J, Kneuer C, Kolossa-Gehring M, Lebret E, Posthuma L, Reiber L, Rider C, Rüegg J, Testa G, van der Burg B, van der Voet H, Warhurst AM, van de Water B, Yamazaki K, Öberg M, Bergman Å. Statement on advancing the assessment of chemical mixtures and their risks for human health and the environment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 134:105267. [PMID: 31704565 PMCID: PMC6979318 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The number of anthropogenic chemicals, manufactured, by-products, metabolites and abiotically formed transformation products, counts to hundreds of thousands, at present. Thus, humans and wildlife are exposed to complex mixtures, never one chemical at a time and rarely with only one dominating effect. Hence there is an urgent need to develop strategies on how exposure to multiple hazardous chemicals and the combination of their effects can be assessed. A workshop, "Advancing the Assessment of Chemical Mixtures and their Risks for Human Health and the Environment" was organized in May 2018 together with Joint Research Center in Ispra, EU-funded research projects and Commission Services and relevant EU agencies. This forum for researchers and policy-makers was created to discuss and identify gaps in risk assessment and governance of chemical mixtures as well as to discuss state of the art science and future research needs. Based on the presentations and discussions at this workshop we want to bring forward the following Key Messages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Drakvik
- Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Stockholm University, ACES, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Rolf Altenburger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yasunobu Aoki
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tina Bahadori
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, MC 8201R, Washington, DC 20460, USA
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université de Paris, Inserm Unit 1124, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Werner Brack
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt-aachen Biology, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Mark T D Cronin
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Barbara Demeneix
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) UMR 7221 (CNRS/MNHN), 7 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Jacob van Klaveren
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Carsten Kneuer
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Pesticide Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Erik Lebret
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences - IRAS, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Leo Posthuma
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Radboud University, Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lena Reiber
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Cynthia Rider
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 TW Alexander Drive, PO Box 12233, MD:K2-12, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Uppsala University, Department of Organismal Biology, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- University of Milan, Department of Oncology, Via S. Sofia, 9/1, 20122 Milan, Italy; IEO European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Bart van der Burg
- BioDetection Systems, Science Park 406, 1098XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hilko van der Voet
- Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Bob van de Water
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Kunihiko Yamazaki
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan, 1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8975, Japan
| | - Mattias Öberg
- Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åke Bergman
- Stockholm University, ACES, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Örebro University, Department of Science and Technology, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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8
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Clahsen SCS, van Kamp I, Hakkert BC, Vermeire TG, Piersma AH, Lebret E. Why Do Countries Regulate Environmental Health Risks Differently? A Theoretical Perspective. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2019; 39:439-461. [PMID: 30110518 PMCID: PMC7379724 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Why do countries regulate, or prefer to regulate, environmental health risks such as radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and endocrine disruptors differently? A wide variety of theories, models, and frameworks can be used to help answer this question, though the resulting answer will strongly depend on the theoretical perspective that is applied. In this theoretical review, we will explore eight conceptual frameworks, from different areas of science, which will offer eight different potential explanations as to why international differences occur in environmental health risk management. We are particularly interested in frameworks that could shed light on the role of scientific expertise within risk management processes. The frameworks included in this review are the Risk Assessment Paradigm, research into the roles of experts as policy advisors, the Psychometric Paradigm, the Cultural Theory of Risk, participatory approaches to risk assessment and risk management, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the Social Amplification of Risk Framework, and Hofstede's Model of National Cultures. We drew from our knowledge and experiences regarding a diverse set of academic disciplines to pragmatically assemble a multidisciplinary set of frameworks. From the ideas and concepts offered by the eight frameworks, we derive pertinent questions to be used in further empirical work and we present an overarching framework to depict the various links that could be drawn between the frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander C. S. Clahsen
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and HealthNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment SciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Irene van Kamp
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and HealthNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
| | - Betty C. Hakkert
- Centre for Safety of Substances and ProductsNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
| | - Theo G. Vermeire
- Centre for Safety of Substances and ProductsNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
| | - Aldert H. Piersma
- Institute for Risk Assessment SciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Centre for Health ProtectionNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
| | - Erik Lebret
- Institute for Risk Assessment SciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment—RIVMBilthovenThe Netherlands
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9
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Buekers J, David M, Koppen G, Bessems J, Scheringer M, Lebret E, Sarigiannis D, Kolossa-Gehring M, Berglund M, Schoeters G, Trier X. Development of Policy Relevant Human Biomonitoring Indicators for Chemical Exposure in the European Population. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E2085. [PMID: 30248963 PMCID: PMC6209865 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The European Union's 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) aims to assess and minimize environmental health risks from the use of hazardous chemicals by 2020. From this angle, policy questions like whether an implemented policy to reduce chemical exposure has had an effect over time, whether the health of people in specific regions or subpopulations is at risk, or whether the body burden of chemical substances (the internal exposure) varies with, for example, time, country, sex, age, or socio-economic status, need to be answered. Indicators can help to synthesize complex scientific information into a few key descriptors with the purpose of providing an answer to a non-expert audience. Human biomonitoring (HBM) indicators at the European Union (EU) level are unfortunately lacking. Within the Horizon2020 European Human Biomonitoring project HBM4EU, an approach to develop European HBM indicators was worked out. To learn from and ensure interoperability with other European indicators, 15 experts from the HBM4EU project (German Umweltbundesamt (UBA), Flemish research institute VITO, University of Antwerp, European Environment Agency (EEA)), and the World Health Organization (WHO), European Core Health Indicator initiative (ECHI), Eurostat, Swiss ETH Zurich and the Czech environmental institute CENIA, and contributed to a workshop, held in June 2017 at the EEA in Copenhagen. First, selection criteria were defined to evaluate when and if results of internal chemical exposure measured by HBM, need to be translated into a European HBM-based indicator. Two main aspects are the HBM indicator's relevance for policy, society, health, and the quality of the biomarker data (availability, comparability, ease of interpretation). Secondly, an approach for the calculation of the indicators was designed. Two types of indicators were proposed: 'sum indicators of internal exposure' derived directly from HBM biomarker concentrations and 'indicators for health risk', comparing HBM concentrations to HBM health-based guidance values (HBM HBGVs). In the latter case, both the percentage of the studied population exceeding the HBM HBGVs (PE) and the extent of exceedance (EE), calculated as the population's exposure level divided by the HBM HBGV, can be calculated. These indicators were applied to two examples of hazardous chemicals: bisphenol A (BPA) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which both have high policy and societal relevance and for which high quality published data were available (DEMOCOPHES, Swedish monitoring campaign). European HBM indicators help to summarize internal exposure to chemical substances among the European population and communicate to what degree environmental policies are successful in keeping internal exposures sufficiently low. The main aim of HBM indicators is to allow follow-up of chemical safety in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurgen Buekers
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO)-Sustainable Health, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Madlen David
- German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO)-Sustainable Health, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Jos Bessems
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO)-Sustainable Health, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Erik Lebret
- Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | | | - Marika Berglund
- Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet (KI), 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Greet Schoeters
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO)-Sustainable Health, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Xenia Trier
- European Environment Agency (EEA), 1050 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Kraaij-Dirkzwager M, van der Ree J, Lebret E. Rapid Assessment of Stakeholder Concerns about Public Health. An Introduction to a Fast and Inexpensive Approach Applied on Health Concerns about Intensive Animal Production Systems. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14121534. [PMID: 29232902 PMCID: PMC5750952 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14121534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To effectively manage environmental health risks, stakeholders often need to act collectively. Stakeholders vary in their desire to act due to many factors, such as knowledge, risk perception, interests, and worldviews. Understanding their perceptions of the issues at stake is crucial to support the risk governance process. Even though concern assessment is a pivotal element of risk governance, few tools for rapid assessment are reported in the literature. We tested a rapid and relatively cheap approach, taking the Dutch debate on Intensive Animal Production Systems (IAPS) and health as an example. Dutch policy-oriented publications on IAPS and health and ten semi-structured in-depth interviews with a variety of stakeholders were analyzed to identify stakeholders and concerns involved in the Dutch debate about IAPS and health. Concerns were mapped and a stakeholder network was derived. Three classes of concerns were recognized in the discussions about IAPS and health: concerns related to health risks, concerns regarding the activity causing the risks (IAPS), and concerns about the process to control the risks. The notions of 'trust' and 'scientific uncertainty' appeared as important themes in the discussions. Argumentation based on concerns directly related to health risks, the activity causing the risk (IAPS), and its risk management can easily become muddled up in a societal debate, limiting the development of effective action perspectives. Acknowledging these multiple stakeholder concerns can clarify the positions taken by stakeholders and allow for more and other action perspectives to develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen Kraaij-Dirkzwager
- Department for Environmental Health, Aftercare and Security, Centre for Environmental Safety and Security (VLH), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbus 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Joost van der Ree
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health (DMG) National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbus 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Erik Lebret
- Chief Science Officer Integrated Risk Assessment, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbus 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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