The problem

Integrating environmental and health data to better understand the links between pollutants and human illness is a key aim of the EU Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010. Biomonitoring is currently carried out across Europe, but different methodologies make data comparison difficult. Furthermore, up-to-date inventories and databases of biomonitoring and health surveillance, especially for children, are lacking at the European level. Therefore, there is a need for greater coordination of bio-monitoring activities in Europe.

Overview:

ESBIO addresses the need for harmonised human bio-monitoring in Europe, with a focus on children.

The project will:

• Develop a coordinated approach to bio-monitoring based on existing expertise and experience
• Update and extend inventories and databases of European bio-monitoring activities
• Integrate environmental and health monitoring data
• Improve communication of results to all stakeholders, facilitating information sharing and the development of synergies so as to optimise output for policy support
• Elaborate scenarios for the use of bio-monitoring results for policy-makers

Contribution to policy development:

• ESBIO will lead to a systematic improvement in the relationship between research, surveillance and policy.
• It will facilitate the evaluation of the socio-economic consequences and cost-effectiveness of different bio-monitoring strategies.
• The developed coordinated approach can be used to provide early warning of pollutant risks to ensure policies are effectively orientated at an early stage.
• It will extend improved and harmonised information to support the EU Environment and Health Action Plan.

Project deliverables

• An overview, inventory and database of ongoing European bio-monitoring activities – September 2007
• Assessments of the sensitivity of biomarkers and the utility of bio-indicators of pollution, and the socio-economic consequences and costs of alternative bio-monitoring strategies – September 2006
• Guidelines and protocols for best practice – March 2007
• Concept to integrate human bio-monitoring with environment and health monitoring – September 2006
• Concept to establish bio-monitoring as a policy-making tool at the EU level – September 2007

Dissemination

• Project website – December 2005
• Project brochure and other non-technical publications – January 2006, September 2007
• Semi-annual and final reports, and deliverables – continously
• Meetings – quarterly
• Conferences (‘State of the art’) – March 2006
• Project workshops ('biomarkers' and 'ethics') – March 2006, March 2007

Technical information

Project acronym: ESBIO (Expert team to Support BIOmonitoring)
Project’s official full title: Development of a coherent approach to human biomonitoring in Europe
Research priority: The impact of environmental issues on health (including safety at work and methods for risk assessment and the mitigation of risks of natural disasters to people) 
Specific webpage: http://www.eu-humanbiomonitoring.org/
Proposal/contract no: 022580
Start date: October 2005
Kick off meeting: September 2005
Completion date: September 2007
European Commission scientific officer: Tuomo Karjalainen, Tuomo.KARJALAINEN@ec.europa.eu

Coordinator:
Name: BiPRO GmbH
Abbreviated name: BiPRO
Address: Grauertstrasse 12
D-81545 Munich
Country: Germany
Tel: +49 (0)89 1897 9050
Fax: +49 (0)89 1897 9052
Website: http://www.bipro.de/

Partners

Name: Flemish centre of Environmental Technology
Abbreviated name: VITO
Country: Belgium

Name: Federal Environmental Agency
Abbreviated name: UBA
Country: Germany

Name: Institute for Occupational Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre
Abbreviated name: NIOM
Country: Poland

Name: Instituto de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa
Abbreviated name: IMP
Country: Portugal

Name: University of Copenhagen
Abbreviated name: UCPH
Country: Denmark

Name: University of Leuven
Abbreviated name: KUL
Country: Belgium

Name: National Institute of Public Health Surveillance
Abbreviated name: InVS
Country: France

Name: ENVIRON
Abbreviated name: ENV
Country: Netherlands

Name: State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health
Abbreviated name: SGL
Country: Cyprus

Name: Initiativ Liewensufank asbl – International Baby Food Action Network
Abbreviated name: IL-IBFAN
Country: Luxembourg

Name: Shell International Health Services
Abbreviated name: SHELL
Country: Belgium

Name: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational health
Abbreviated name: IMI
Country: Croatia

Name: ARPA Lombardia
Abbreviated name: ARPA
Country: Italy

Name: National Hellenic Research foundation
Abbreviated name: NHRF
Country: Greece

Name: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet
Abbreviated name: IMM, KI
Country: Sweden

Name: Regional Authority of Public Health Banská Bystrica
Abbreviated name: RAPH
Country: Slovakia

Name: National Institute of Public Health
Abbreviated name: NIPH
Country: Czech Republic

Name: Federal Environment Agency
Abbreviated name: UBA-A
Country: Austria

Name: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Abbreviated name: FIOH
Country: Finland

Name: Health Protection Agency
Abbreviated name: HPA
Country: United Kingdom

Name: National Institute for Health Development
Abbreviated name: NIHD
Country: Estonia