EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded by the Fifth Framework Programme KI-NA-22816-EN-S EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded by the Fifth Framework Programme PROJECTS REPORT Price (excluding VAT) in Luxembourg: EUR 25 Over ninety multidisciplinary pan-European research projects dealing with environment and health issues were funded by the European Commission’s Research Directorate- General in the Fifth Framework Programme of Research (1998-2002). The results of these projects have now become available and are presented in this catalogue. The projects presented addressed a multitude of issues ranging from health impacts of exposure to electromagnetic elds to air pollution. The results should be useful to many stakeholders including the scientic community and policy makers. Interested in European research? RTD info is our quarterly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, programmes, events, etc). It is available in English, French and German. A free sample copy or free subscription can be obtained from: European Commission Directorate-General for Research Information and Communication Unit B-1049 Brussels Fax: (32-2) 29-58220 http://ec.europa.eu/research/rtdinfo/index_en.html EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Research Directorate I – Environment Unit I5 – Climate change and environmental risks Scientic Ofcer: Tuomo Karjalainen (Tuomo.KARJALAINEN@ec.europa.eu) SALES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Publications for sale produced by the Ofce of Ofcial Publications of the European Communities are available from our sales agents throughout the world. You can nd the list of sales agents on the Publications Ofce website (http://publications.europa.eu) or you can apply for it by fax (352) 29 29-42758. Contact the sales agent of your choice and place your order. EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Research 2007 Science, Economy and Society EUR 22816 EU EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded by the Fifth Framework Programme ACKNOWLEDMENTS The project related data was compiled for the most part by Dr Tuomo Karjalainen, European Commission, Research Directorate-General, Directorate I (Environment), Unit Climate Change and Environmental Risks (Head of Unit: Ms Elisabeth Lipiatou), with the skillful assistance of Ms Kerstin Johansson. Valuable contributions from the Directorate E (Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food), Unit Food-Health-Wellbeing (Head of Unit: Antonio Di Giulio) are acknowledged, especially assistance from Drs Ana Nieto-Nuez and Ebba Barany. Activities and contributions of former Scientific Officers in this field (including Mr Callum Searle, Dr Kirsi Haavisto, Ms Minna Wilkki) should not be forgotten. The data in the project sheets was provided and validated for the most part by project coordinators and they bear responsibility for their scientific content and accuracy. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 The views expressed here are those of the authors and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an ofcial position of the European Commission. LEGAL NOTICE Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Ofce for Ofcial Publications of the European Communities, 2007 ISBN – 978-92-79-05359-7 © European Communities, 2007 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium P rinted on white chlorine-free PaPer 5 Foreword It is pretty much accepted in our society that environmental factors such as noise or air pollution can have an adverse impact on human health and well-being. Opinion polls show that the majority of the European public has increasing concerns about the influence of these factors on their health and their children’s health in particular. The links between environmental factors and disease trends are now being discovered through numerous scientific research projects. Amongst the links now highlighted are: Cancer rates, including children’s cancer, are increasing by around 1% a year. This increase is believed to be linked, at least partially, to a number of environmental pollutants; Fertility rates are declining at a worrying rate in some EU countries, and environmental pollution is also partly suspected; Neurodevelopmental disorders are on the increase in our children (including conditions such as autism) and environmental exposures could play a role here; Allergies and asthma are increasing by 5% a year across the continent, and air pollutants could be partly to blame; In addition, new and emerging technologies and societal challenges, such as widespread use of mobile phones and the consequences of climate change, could bring new long-term health consequences that must be risk assessed and managed. The European Union has been at the forefront of research on the environment and health for many years. Through successive European Research Framework Programmes and national science programmes, we have greatly increased our understanding of the complex links between environmental risk factors and their effects on the health of citizens, various vulnerable sections of society and the population as a whole. This accumulated scientific knowledge has helped shape national and EU policy initiatives designed to protect our environment and promote human health throughout the continent. A good example of this is the European Environment and Health Action Plan adopted in 2004. This publication brings together the final results of all European-funded research projects in the field of environment and health from the Fifth Framework Programme of Research (FP5). Sponsored by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research, the projects covered a multitude of issues in this complex area. I sincerely hope this comprehensive overview will allow you to find some answers to the many questions raised by the general public, scientific community and policy-makers on the links between environment and human health. Janez Potocnik Commissioner for Science and Research [...]... the European Environmental Agency (EEA)8 and the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA)9 EEA and EFSA have been important end-users of research funded by the Framework Programmes The main policy-making Directorate-Generals that benefit from the research input are Environment1 0, Health and Consumer Protection11 and Enterprise12 European research also interacts with other national and international endeavours... In particular, the European Commission works actively with bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) on initiatives like the Children’s Health and Environment Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE)13 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Task Force on Endocrine Disrupters Environment and health issues: joint effort at EU and global levels Reflecting the complexity... http://www.efsa.europa .eu/ en.html 10 http://ec.europa .eu/ environment/ index_en.htm 11 http://ec.europa .eu/ dgs /health_ consumer/index_en.htm 12 http://ec.europa .eu/ enterprise/index_en.htm 13 http://www.euro.who.int/childhealthenv/policy/ Air pollution-related health impacts Air Pollution-Related Environmental Stressors Common outdoor and indoor pollutants include: Gases such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen... radiation and the environment the UV range is often subdivided into UV-A, UV-B, UV-C The energy of the light increases from A to C Fortunately most UV-B and UV-C is filtered out by the atmospheric ozone layer found at high altitude as this has greater ionising potential – the ability to break chemical bonds and produced charged molecules and atoms called ions European context A lazy day in the sun... for the assessment of the generic impact of noise in the environment) and CALM26 (Coordination of European research for advanced transport noise mitigation) For FP7 noise is included as one of the priorities for funding within the Environment and Health activity 1 Health effects of exposure to emerging environmental stressors” within the Environment (including Climate Change) theme of the Cooperation... of health risks of environmental stressors in Europe) and a variety of other such projects For FP7, research on air pollution-related activities may be funded under the Health (cohort studies), Information and Communication Technologies (personalised exposure measurement devices) and Energy and Transport themes However, the main focus of activity concerning health impacts of air pollution will be the. .. in the coordination action EMF-NET20 (Effects of the exposure to Electromagnetic fields: From science to public health and safer workplaces), which is working to bring together research results on biological effects of EMF including occupational exposure A COST21 action was also funded, focused on health risks related to emerging technologies The Environment and Health activity within the Environment. .. health Among the environment and health projects funded by FP5, the 20 projects listed here are related ­directly 14 Environment and Health , EEA Report No 10/2005 http://reports.eea.europa .eu/ eea_report_2005_10/en/EEA_report_10_2005.pdf 15 Environment and Health , EEA Report No 10/2005 http://reports.eea.europa .eu/ eea_report_2005_10/en/EEA_report_10_2005.pdf to various aspects of air pollution Their... change and health N  ovel approaches to environment and health risk assessment Other FP7 themes – in particular Health and “Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology” – will complement environment and health activities and there may be opportunities for joint calls FP5 was an important precursor in the field of environment and health, delivering new knowledge, pointing the way for further research. .. Policy) has funded a number of research projects with direct relevance to policy making One of the main drivers for research in FP6 was the European Commission’s Environment and Health Action Plan, adopted in 20045 The plan aims to improve our understanding of the links between environmental factors and health It was partially inspired by a need to more fully engage policy with new research results coming . EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded by the Fifth Framework Programme KI-NA-22816-EN-S EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded. order. EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Research 2007 Science, Economy and Society EUR 22816 EU EU Research on Environment and Health - Results from projects funded by the Fifth Framework. research projects in the field of environment and health from the Fifth Framework Programme of Research (FP5). Sponsored by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research, the projects