The POLYRISK project aims unraveling the risks of microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNP) that are ubiquitous in our environment and are likely to be entering the human body via inhalation and ingestion. The most bioavailable low-micron and nano-sized MNP, pose the biggest analytical challenges or today’s analytical chemists. Existing knowledge about the adverse pro-inflammatory effects of airborne particulate matter and nanoparticles, combined with pro-inflammatory evidence of MNP exposure observed in animal models and in vitro pilot tests with human immune cells, suggests that MNP may cause immunotoxicity in humans. Occupational exposure of workers to fibrous MNP can indeed lead to granulomatous lesions, causing respiratory irritation, functional abnormalities and flock worker’s lung. Currently, human health risk assessment protocols specific to MNP are not available and key data is missing. This hampers science-based decision making. On this backdrop, POLYRISK’s human risk assessment strategy will combine highly advanced sampling, sample pretreatment and analytical methods to detect MNP in complex matrices, up-to-date fit-for-purpose hazard assessment technologies and multiple real-life human exposure scenarios. We will focus on key toxic events linked to several chronic inflammatory diseases. The consortium uniquely brings together interdisciplinary experience and know-how on quality-controlled chemical analyses of MNP and additives, intestinal and respiratory toxicity models, human exposure epidemiology, immunotoxicology and real-life high-exposure studies. POLYRISK’s novel human risk assessment strategy is based on mechanistic reasoning and pragmatically accommodates the complexity of the MNP toxicant class. Building with ground-breaking science, stakeholder engagement and strong communication, POLYRISK aims to rapidly reduce current MNP risk uncertainties and support EU efforts to ensure public health is adequately protected from the potential risks of MNP pollution. POLYRISK is a part of the European cluster on Health Impacts of Micro- and Nanoplastics.

ENBEL will support EU policy making by bringing together leaders in climate change and health research. We do so by coordinating a network of major international health and climate research projects under the Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action (CRA), Societal Challenge 1 and 5 of EU’s Horizon 2020, and other national and international funding schemes. The network will develop evidence syntheses and co-produce with stakeholders a series of tailor-made knowledge products. The project will engage with EU policy advisors to translate science into policies that help shape low-carbon economies and build climate resilience in member countries while supporting EU diplomacy and development strategies. The overall concept of ENBEL is a bottom-up approach to networking and cooperation across the often separate worlds of climate and health research communities. This can have major impacts on knowledge production and policies. ENBEL brings together a consortium whose work generates actionable knowledge on how climate change-health risks will develop under global warming, what are the social costs and effective, cost-efficient and equitable mitigation and adaptation strategies. ENBEL focuses on three major climate change related health hazards: environmental and occupational heat, air pollution (particularly from wildfires) and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, with specific attention given to high risk groups and populations within Europe, and in Africa/Asia-Pacific region. ENBEL will support a knowledge management platform of EU funded research on climate change and health is two ways: A) build and manage a web-based knowledge platform of health impact of climate change by using innovative tools such as video, photos, maps and infographics; B) connect to existing and recognised knowledge platforms.Through our partners in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), ENBEL will support, strengthen and establish channels for collaboration and capacity-building in LMIC.

Environmental degradation and pollution, climate change, and the destabilization of the ecosystem biodiversity, damage health and quality of life, and affect socially disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. Negative outcomes can be balanced by positive effects that healthy environments, such as green and blue spaces, can have on human and ecosystem health. Socio-economic costs are significant and public policies could develop preventive actions. HERA will set the priorities for an environment and health research agenda in the EU by adopting a holistic and systemic approach in the face of global environmental changes. Research will support decision-making and help attain the ultimate goal of protecting and improving ecosystem quality and human health. HERA will identify both the environmental opportunities for health improvements and the major environmental problems and challenges. This ambitious objective will only be possible through a close and continuous interaction with numerous and diverse stakeholders in the wider environment and health area. HERA specifically aims: 1) to proactively identify key sectors and policy areas in the field of environment and health that will benefit from additional scientific evidence in the next decade; 2) to develop a European medium-term research and innovation agenda covering key strategic research and policy aspects; 3) to propose strategies and tools to respond to the new and continuing challenges in environment and health nexus, by ensuring the engagement of stakeholders, increasing coordination and cross-fertilisation of ideas, and contributing to the European environment and health process and policy activities. HERA is structured in workpackages addressing policy needs, knowledge gaps, establishment of new guidelines, stakeholder community consultation and establishment of the research agenda. A specific activity focuses on knowledge transfer towards countries with less active research in environment and health.

In Europe, more than 70% of the population lives in urban areas. Cities have long been known to be society’s predominant engine of innovation and wealth creation, yet they are also a main source of pollution, disease and mortality, which is to some extent linked to suboptimal urban and transport planning practices. The proposed work aims to improve the estimation of health impacts and socio-economic costs and/or benefits of environmental stressors, advance methodological approaches and foster their acceptance as common good practice for urban areas, to help strengthen evidence-based policy making at city, national and EU level. We will focus on nearly 1000 cities and environmental stressors including air pollution, noise, temperature/heat and lack of green space but we will also include physical activity as a main determinant of health and examine the effects of gender and inequality in the impact estimations. We aim to produce a system that will provide updates every 3 years to be able to monitor progress. It will extensively involve stakeholders and conduct knowledge translation. We will use transdisciplinary and systemic approaches bringing together a team of, amongst others, experts and practitioners in urban and transport planning, environment and public health, economics, retail and business, education sector, policy analysis, knowledge translation and involve citizens and NGOs.